Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure
by XDiamondX90
Summary: Maverick only expected a simple journey through Sinnoh with his sister, Rika, and their friends. What he didn't expect was a returning darkness to reveal secrets long laid buried, forcing challenges beyond imagining for both themselves and the world. This brought them down to one truth: Save the earth in Time, or watch Space as they know it fade. A revision of the original MSA.
1. Tranquil Times

**Author's note- Full author's note is at the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer- I only own my OC's. All other OC's appearing in this story belong to their respective owners on Fanfiction. (Owners will be identified when their OC's make an appearance) Pokémon, and other material in relation to Pokémon all belong to their respective owners and companies. Please support the official release.**

* * *

 **Welcome to:**

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
** **Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

Chapter 1: Tranquil Times

 **Author: XDiamondX90**

* * *

"Okay… just press this button here and- ah! There we go! It's been activated," a strangely dressed man with a bob cut hairstyle said, grinning like a fool. He stepped back and admired his work. A single black device lay in the thick green foliage of Lake Valor in Eastern Sinnoh. It's a moderately warm day out. It was close to summer in Sinnoh- East Sinnoh at least. West Sinnoh was still warming up, Mountain Coronet usually would block the sun for a good couple of hours before it touches the other part of the region. The strangely dressed man drew his arm underneath his chin and spoke to a watch, located on his left wrist. After clearing his throat, he quickly got connected to headquarters.

"Sir! Everything has been set into place!" He said, his voice growing loud and professional. The LCD watch lit up as a pink haired man appeared on screen. He seemed like an old guy with wrinkles forming on his face. The man on the screen chuckled sinisterly as he finger-tented his hands over his mouth.

"Hm, good! And today is also your first day on the field too, Grunt. Has it been activated?"

The strangely dressed man looked up at the black device. "Yes, and it appears to be counting down as we speak."

"Good, how much time is there?"

"About…" he trailed off, looking at the bright red numbers on the device. "Fifteen minutes of wait time, sir!"

"Roger, that should give you enough time to get you out of there. Report back to base immediately. Hunter J should be around your area-! " He got cut off as a roar was heard off in the distance. The man onscreen smiled evilly and responded, "Always on time. She'll be there to pick you up. Report to her ship in the sky and head back to base that way. Don't linger and chat in that area too long."

The man, now known as 'Grunt' saluted. "Copy that, Sir! Reporting back momentarily." The screen faded to black as he finished speaking. The Grunt sighed and immediately lost his composure, regaining that much needed slouch in his back.

"Glad I got that over with… Charon has been notified, now all I need to do is wait for J."

"That's 'Hunter J' to you." A woman said, appearing from the trees. The Grunt jumped at the sudden arrival before quickly saluting the hunter. J rolled her eyes behind her glasses and sighed. "Get on Salamence, now!" Knowing she wasn't one for small talk, the Grunt quickly complied and hopped on the quadruped light blue and red Pokémon. The woman walked over, and spoke to the Grunt as she mounted her Pocket Monster. "...I believe everything is ready to be set in motion?"

The Grunt seated himself and quickly shot up a reply. "Yes, Hunter J. It's been set properly and now waits for its job to be done," he spoke in his revived professional tone. He sat stiff as a rock as the woman commanded her Dragon Type to ascend into the air, but not high enough to attract attention. As they rose, J turned her head and glared at the Grunt harshly, sending a wave of paralyzing fear up the man's spine. Her dark, somewhat attractive eyes could be faintly seen through her visor. No matter how dark her visor is, the eyes of the woman never failed to send condescending gazes to her target.

"Were. You. Followed?" she asked sharply, each syllable pounding fear into the Grunt. The poor man tried to look away from the woman and form words but to no avail. Beginning to stumble on his words, the outlandishly dressed man shakily replied.

"I-I ma... made s-sure that, that I w-wasn-wasn't be-being f-f-followed..." It sounded more like a question, but it was an answer nonetheless. The white haired hunter kept her gaze on the man until she sighed in frustration and acceptance at his answer. She had to be fully sure nothing went wrong this time around. In the far distance, a clearing where her ship lay could be seen, being perfectly cloaked for invisibility.

"Hmph..." The silver haired woman narrowed her eyes and held a steely gaze ahead of her, remembering how she barely made it out Lake Valor a year ago…

* * *

"Have you ever heard of, 'The Lake Guardians?'" An old man asked, with a small welcoming smile on his face. This old man happened to be the knowledgeable Professor Rowan of Sandgem Town. He called a certain group of Pokémon Trainers over to Canalave Library to hear of these mysterious creatures of Sinnoh called the "Lake Guardians", their names being _Mesprit_ (The being of emotions), _Uxie_ (The being of knowledge) and _Azelf_ (The being of willpower).

"The Lake Guardians? I've heard of them in some older textbooks in school and stuff. Anything to be concerned of?" A boy asked.

"That's a good question. Well-" The Professor got cut off as a loud _boom_ shook the small library. A few books fell off the shelves and people within the building lost their footing. Lights flickered in response to the shivering of the establishment, accompanied by the surprised gasps of the people in the room. Slowly, but surely, the rumbles and shaking stopped.

"Ungh, I- is everyone... okay? Ah my head..."

"Woah, what was that?"

"Are you guys, okay?"

"Is everyone good down there?

"Ow... I'm fine, Professor." The boy said, himself and everyone else getting up slowly from the floor. One question was on their minds…

What happened?

"Hey! Look at this!" Another boy called. He was in front of the television, trying to find out what happened. He found a news channel, with all the other channels being interrupted by the sudden occurrence. Everyone in the library gathered around the screen, hoping to find out what just occurred.

"Yes... Uh huh- wha! Y-yes, I see... oh, no! Really? Let me inform them. Yes, that'll be fine. Hey, are we still on air? Right, Ok. Ahem... Uh, my name is Mary and I'm with Jubilife TV News. This just in- apparently, Lake Valor and surrounding areas has forgone a huge explosion! We have a few camera men at the site. This happened just recently and caused an earthquake throughout the region. Here's some live footage being shown..." Mary said with a shaking voice, still heavily surprised at the former news. From a helicopter, the camera panned to the area of Lake Valor, with the landmass giving off thick black smoke. A few fires were seen throughout the site, with multiple trees were either burned, or scattered off somewhere. What shocked everyone the most was the water being practically evaporated and large piles of _seemingly_ dead Pokémon skewed every which way. The only thing in the lake that stood present was a chamber of some sort in the middle.

"Oh no..." The boy breathed, his eyes wide.

"There's no way this is natural attack from a Pokémon."

"All those Pokémon, dead."

"Woah, are Pastoria and other areas okay?"

"...What? Lake Valor?" A girl questioned frightfully with a clenched fist. "W-we were just there _barely_ a few hours ago...who would do this?"

The boy's eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Not to play 'Pin-the-tail-on-the-Tauros', but I have a suspicion," he voiced cautiously. He pulled out his Luxury Ball from his pocket and looked at it. A million different emotions ran through his body all at once when he looked at the ball. He gripped it tightly in his palm, and looked back at the screen, seeing the wrecked state of their previous location.

"...and it's _not_ a good one _._ "

* * *

The story really begins one year ago in a small town in the south-westernmost part of the Sinnoh Region. That town was called Twinleaf Town. It was a quaint, relatively tranquil, town. It had some paved paths with the grass being relatively green during this time of year. Tall, narrow and bushy trees neatly littered the town, surrounding some houses that led into the forests of Route 201.

Overall the town was quiet. Well... except for one house, but they aren't noisy, not by a long shot.

"...And, despite the exploration team's best efforts, however, the oddly colored Pokémon failed to appear. The red Gyarados somehow eluded detection, even fleeting to the crest-fallen team."

"Mary?" A news reporter transferred, his report being finished.

"Thank you, Bill. That's just too bad; the search for the red Gyarados continues after 7 years. Hopefully they find this Pokémon soon! In other news, to all you aspiring Pokémon trainers, it turns out Professor Rowan has returned! We are happy to see that he has come back from his long trip from the Kanto Region. In an interview with our network, he says tomorrow, all starting Pokémon trainers can receive their starters. That's right! A new cycle is beginning anew. Remember, he gives out Pokémon every two years on June 16th, so go get training! Well, that's all the time we have for today on Jubilife TV Network. See you same time, same place, same channel!" The news reporter happily chimed while giving a wave. A girl walked up to the television to shut it off. She's a brunette with mid-upper back length hair. It's relatively well cared for- except for a few short strands sticking out towards the upper part of her head, reminiscent of her brother's wild hair. She also had bangs and had these beautiful brown eyes that seemed to sparkle. She wore a simple plain blue tee with khaki jean capris and white ankle socks. A single black hair tie lay on her right wrist.

Her name is Rika Anderson.

"They still haven't caught that Gyarados yet? It's already been several years. They need to find it before it causes more havoc in Johto. They also did mention something about starter Pokémon though..." The girl reviewed thoughtfully, trotting back to her bed. Her face hit the pillow and she immediately closed her eyes, trying to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

"I spend way too long watching... TV." Rika yawned quietly. But as soon as she was about to doze off...

"Rika! What're you doing up there? You haven't come downstairs yet, honey." Her mother called.

 _'Oh yeah...'_ She sighed, then groans loudly at the thought of leaving her comfortable position.

"I'm so tired, Mom... Can't I just sleep a bit?" She yelled back.

"No, not while you're hungry. Come downstairs and eat, I got some sandwiches for you." Her mother responded with a warm voice.

The girl on the bed closed her eyes for a few seconds, counting to 10. "Ok, fine," she reluctantly said.

So much for sleep. She slowly pushed herself up from her bed, stomach growling in the process. "Okay, okay, I'll feed you. But you best better leave me alone for a while." With that in mind, she then got a random burst of energy and quickly shoved herself outside her room. This action, however, caused her to misjudge the distance between the hallway leading to her room and the steps. She "Woa- Nononono! OOF! Oww..." Her mother, Kimberly, while holding a laundry basket laughed wholeheartedly at her daughter as she saw her body sprawled out across the base of the stairs.

"Haha. Rika, honey, you've got to stop falling face first on the floor when you're hungry. You're going to hurt yourself one of these days." Rika looked up at the ceiling and rubbed her nose.

"Ouch... That's not funny mom." Her child painfully got up and looked her mother.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. What's gotten you all excited for?"

"Nothing, really Mom. I'm kinda hungry... Did you know that, that they're still looking for that, Gyarados?" The younger female stammered a bit, still flustered by her fall from earlier. Her mother looked up in wonder, as if she was calculating something.

"Oh yeah? It's been a while... I believe this marks, seven years?" Kimberly asked. Rika rose her eyebrow in shock of her subconscious accuracy.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"Well, a couple of years ago, I remember them reporting about it. I've been interested in their research of that shiny Gyarados for a number of years. I guess I've been keeping count in the back of my head?"

"Woah... I never thought you'd be the Gyarados-y type. I've recently watched a report about it." Rika spoke. Her mother always been one to take interest in many odd things. That's something Rika admired about her mom.

"Now, I've gotta do laundry. Your father is in the living room. Why not go talk to him? And, Happy birthday, Rika!" Kimberly said, walking up the stairs. Rika stopped a bit from her journey to the living room.

What? Today was her birthday?

"Huh..." She went into the kitchen to check the calendar. Yes, it was indeed June 15th, her birthday, evident by two circles of green and red and a cake adorning the square. Her eyes widened and a small smile found its way onto her face. She was so wrapped up in the weeks passing by so slowly that she forgot she even had a birthday.

"So, I'm thirteen years old now... I'm old enough to get a Pokémon!"

* * *

"And with that, it's a critical moment for both our competitors, as Infernape faces off against Electivire! While Electivire took some damage in its battle against Pikachu, Infernape has suffered damage from multiple battles, on top of being hurt by Toxic Spikes' poison! Who will be the last Pokémon standing!?" A commentator on television excitedly asked, making the crowd cheer even louder for the competitors. A 13-year-old boy and his 42-year-old father, Jonathan, watched as the 31st Sinnoh league conference took place. The boy watched intently as one of the contestants, Ash Ketchum, talked to the other trainer before calling out a move to his Pokémon, Infernape. Paul, the one he's facing against on the other side of the field, narrowed his eyes and smirked challengingly at Ash. The two Pokémon growled at each other before they launched their attacks, being Thunder Punch and Mach Punch, respectively.

"Maverick!" Rika called, rushing into the living room. The boy looked away from the television with a quick glance.

"It's about time you got up, sis. Happy birthday!" He said, eyes returning on the TV. Rika smiled at her brother.

"And Happy birthday to you, Maverick." Maverick waved her off before standing up at Infernape's Dig hitting Electivire in the face. He was wearing a black and gold collarless T-shirt with black basketball shorts.

"A great example of using dig! It's Super Effective!"

"Hm! Did it work…?" Ash asked rhetorically as Infernape landed close to him onscreen. He turned a bright purple as he landed shortly after, still being poisoned.

"Amazing! Electivire is STILL standing!"

"Good. " Paul smirked, commanding his Pokémon to use Brick Break after Infernape's Flamethrower. Maverick's eyes lit up as if he was a kid in the candy store.

"This battle's heated!" He said. His father nodded in complete understanding.

"Yeah. This has been one of the best battles I've seen in the league thus far. And it seems like Ash and Paul has some serious beef between them, too."

The thirteen-year-old's eyes lit up in remembrance of a fact. "Yeah, I remember seeing the Hearthome City tag battles a while back. Ash and Paul were paired up and they did not seem happy. More so Paul then Ash, anyway." He turned his gaze to the television set once more as Ash called out another attack.

"You're watching the league still? I thought it ended already...?" A confused, but moderately interested Rika asked.

"No, it hasn't ended. It's extended two days because of all the preliminary rounds taking up most of the time. It took exactly nine days just to wade one-hundred twenty eight to sixty-four people. And then from there one week to get that to eight. Yesterday they finished the first few real rounds of the league, now we're on the last two." Jonathan explained to his daughter, his eyes looking at her warmly.

"I see... they seem to be really into it!" Rika observed. _'I wonder if my Pokémon could fight like that someday...'_

The quiet sound of approaching footsteps was able to be heard over the sounds of the television."Hey Maverick? Can you check the mail for me?" The mom, Kimberly asked with a somewhat tired voice, walking into the living room. She appeared to be finished with her laundry duty, and was now holding her cell phone. Maverick finally began prying his eyes away from the TV.

"Now? But there's a battle on!"

"Please? I need to check something."

"Alright." He reluctantly got up and left the room. After putting on his sandals, he walked out into a hot June day. He marveled at the heat on his skin, nothing blistering hot, but it was something that's normally not Sinnoh weather. It was a nice change, and he enjoyed it. "Now to check this mail, I wonder what Mom was expecting." He walked out a little further out into the open and breathed in.

"Ah, _definitely_ not Sinnoh weather." He said gleefully with his arms outstretched. The sun shone on his body; "It's _really_ hot out today. and Sinnoh is one of the coldest around. Groudon must be havin' a ball..." He then froze mid-step en route to the box ahead of him as he thought about what he said. Then a very cold shiver that rivaled 'Sinnoh Weather' rolled down his body as he processed it. "The people in Hoenn, and the Orre Region- they're probably _dead_ by now..." He shivered, finally reaching his destination. He opened the mail box and peeked inside. Surely enough, there was mail in there. Reaching a hand in, he pulled out a small envelope that, had Kimberly's name on it.

"Oh. For Mom... What's this?"

Turning it over, he saw that it was actually, "For Maverick and Rika."

Issued by... "Professor Rowan."

.

.

.

.

 ** _To Be Continued._**

* * *

 **Hey guys, my name is XDiamondX90. Welcome to a remake of my first ever story, "Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure". I made this story back in August of 2013, since I was just starting out as a writer at the time, the quality of the original story wasn't as good and fleshed out as this story will soon become. Since then, I've grown immensely and here it is a few years later in its remade form. Granted, there was nothing too much going on in the latter half of the chapter, but I promise you, the plot will pick up. It'll have a slow start, but it'll be worth it in the end, trust me.**

 **So, what did you think so far? I'd love to know your thoughts! If you have a Twitter account, you can follow me on there (XDiamondX90) for news, updates, upcoming projects and maybe even art if I get good enough! If you'd rather not tell me your thoughts there, you can leave a review to tell me how I did. If there's any suggestions to help me improve as a writer, I'll gladly take them!** **Lastly, check out my profile for the full information on this story and others to come! And, if you have a question, feel free to PM me.**

 **Live Long and Shine on!**

 **~XDiamondX90**


	2. Tranquil Times (Part 2)

**Hello again, and welcome back! A big thank you to all of you who've read and reviewed chapter one. And a big thanks to everyone who had helped me prepare this story since day one, all those years ago. It means a lot to me. Well, I'll go into more detail later.**

 **I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
Arc 1: The Roar of Time and The Spacial Rend  
**

 **Chapter 2: Tranquil Times (Part 2)**

* * *

"I think this is the last of it all," Maverick said as he took the final rectangular letter from the metal box. "Yeah, four pieces. One for Mom, two for Dad, and one for us." At the top of the stack that was in his hand lied a letter that was addressed towards himself and his sister. This fairly small letter brought on a small wave of confusion and excitement to the birthday boy. His fingers began to curiously fiddle with the white envelope, nearly threatening to have it opened right then and there; but this action however caused Maverick to stop a bit.

 _'Then again',_ he thought, _'This may be super important. Why else would Mom's name be on the back? Better wait until I give it to her. I have a League battle to finish watching!'_

With that thought in mind, he closed the mailbox and quickly walked back into his relatively cooler home. After walking in, he immediately taken a look towards the television screen. To his relief, the forms of Infernape and Electivire were still fighting to the fullest. He released a breath he had not realized he held in his lungs. "Good, they're still battling," he sighed happily. Maverick proceeded to saunter across to his living room, where the rest of the family were hanging out. Rika stood at the far corner of the room, appearing to be happily munching on her sandwich while keeping her brown eyes onscreen.

"Mom, I've got the mail you asked for." He then held a hand out to his mother, who gingerly took it from him. After sifting through each of the letters and handing over the two addressed to her husband, she gave a happy smile to her son.

"Thank you, Maverick. I was expecting something. So glad it came through on time." She replied. This piqued Maverick's curiosity, to which he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at.

"Oh? Does this have to do with the letter that the Professor sent us?"

Kimberly grinned and winked at him. "Something like that," she replied. Maverick's excitement grew tenfold and his eyes began to glow. "But not telling what. You have to wait, okay?"

The teens excitement instantly deflated and was replaced with a growing dread. "Aww, waiting? How long?" he whined. Kimberly giggled at her son's displeasure.

"Shh…" She teased with a finger up to her lips. Maverick frowned at his mother's antics.

"Mom, you're no fun sometimes…"

"I love you too, sweetie. Now, go watch the rest of that battle you wished for." She shooed him away. Maverick's eyes widened and he instantly turned over to the television once more.

"Oh yeah, I forgot!"

* * *

On the other side of the room, Rika finished her sandwich with a satisfied sigh. _'That was so good. Remind me to sleep in all the time!'_ she thought happily.

She wiped her mouth of the remnants and rolled it up into her palm. After making her way into the kitchen and trashing her paper towel, she peered out the window to a view of the side of her house. From the vantage point, she could faintly see the form of a boy playing with a Pokémon further up the walkway across the calm town. She smiled at the sight. _'It's been some time. I guess I could pay him a visit.'_ With that in mind, she called for her father.

"Hey Dad? I'll be heading out for a bit. Could you tell me who'll win?" She asked, beginning to edge her way out the door. Jonathan looked up from the screen and looked back at her with raised eyebrows. His arms were crossed and he then pretended to be lost in deep thought. After a few moments, he looked up.

"Paul will." He couldn't help but crack a stupid smile, to which the overhearing Maverick laughed at. Rika, in response, pouted and clenched her fists.

"Daaad!"

"What? You walked right into it."

"Ugh! You're no fun!" Rika said with a huff. The older male laughed whole heartedly at his daughter's displeasure.

"I love you too, sweetie. Now, go outside like you said you would." Rika kept her gaze on her old man for a little while longer before sighing and proceeding to do just that. "But wait!" Her dad quickly said. This piqued Rika's attention.

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to not go out to 201 gateway. There may be some wild Pokémon out. It'd be great if you had your own… Just be careful out there, 'kay?" Her dad asked. Rika nodded and headed out into the blistering hot day. After closing the door behind her, she had to immediately tug a bit at her blue shirt.

"Why is it so hot out?" Rika stepped onto the soft grass of her lawn. "This isn't normally how hot Sinnoh gets. I remember it being warm in the summer. Nothing like this… Huh? Oh." She froze mid-step, when she noticed that the grass felt awfully detailed beneath her feet. "It…looks like I forgot my shoes, ha-ha!" She smiled embarrassingly. She then did a 180 and opened the door again, to which her father held a confused gaze at.

"Back so soon?" He appeared to be headed up the stairs, now holding a phone in hand. Rika waved her hand in denial.

"No no, just forgot my shoes." He nodded in understanding and continued to ascend. Rika slipped on her sandals and headed back out. Now it was time to meet that boy again…

Eventually, after taking a one minute walk, she neared her destination. The laughter of a boy and the purrs of a Pokémon filled her ears, causing her to smile a little. She walked a little closer, being able to see them now. On top of the boy's head was a Pokémon that's a part of the "Catty" category; its species being identified as Glameow. Glameow scratched and kicked at the young boy, messing up his already unkempt hair, but the boy didn't mind. Rika paused and gazed at the pair from a distance, then a blush stained her cheeks.

' _Yeah,'_ Rika thought, _'fun loving. Just as I remember him.'_ She shook her head, and inched a little further. Eventually, she came into view of the young boy and his cat.

"Hm? O-oh…!" The boy noticed her presence and put the Catty Pokémon towards his feet, much to her dismay. "R-Rika! Hi!"

Rika's eyes shined a little in the sun as the boy's warm greeting met her. "Alex, hey! It's been sometime… Hi, Glameow!" She knelt forward a little, with hands on her knees. The cat looked up to her and meowed in response.

The boy, Alex, tilted his head at her. _'Yeah…'_ he thought. _'Kind. Just as I remember her.'_ He smiled and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, it's been quite a while. How have you been?" he asked softly, as if he was mesmerized. He had every right to be, really. Rika looked up and, those eyes Alex knew so well, had him awestruck every time. She swept a few bangs out of her eyes and responded.

"I've been fine, ever since school ended. I'm so glad we finally graduated…"

"Oh yeah," Alex remembered, pointing at Rika. "That was, about a month ago? From Trainer's School?"

"Well, yeah. That, and main school." She couldn't help but roll her eyes at 'main school'. Alex smirked kindly. He put his hands behind his head and sighed.

"How could I forget? School wasn't that bad. Trainer's School was straight-forward. Fun times."

"As if." Rika crossed her arms and huffed. "What good does Geometry do for the Pokémon World? Trainer's, I can get. But Math? History? Science? Give me a break!"

"Well now! Calm down, ha-ha." Alex waved his arms, as if telling her to cool off. "All this stuff is essential for the-! "

"Benefit of the human race. Yes, I know." She interrupted, deadpanning. Alex cracked a grin as Glameow made a space for herself to take a nap. Rika sometimes, failed to see the point of all these subjects in school. She did pretty well in school, but all the testing towards the end of the year gave her somewhat of a fatigue. "You didn't have to go quoting the Principal."

"I mean," Alex tried. Rika held a hand up, and stopped Alex's thought process.

"Enough about school. I had fun and all, but now I'm more than ready to have to quit worrying about it."

Alex stopped stroking Glameow's fur and almost dropped her in disbelief. "Rika, you're no fun. At all." Said girl shrugged in response.

"On the subject of fun, you know the Sinnoh League is still on, right?" she asked eagerly. Alex resumed stroking the cat's fur, bringing out a low purr from Glameow. Wind blown across the landscape, chilling their bodies of the intense heat. A few bird Pokémon flown in the breeze, their wings outstretched.

"Ah yeah? I thought it ended already?"

Rika shook her head, her hair swayed as she did so. "Nope. Apparently, the preliminary rounds are the source of the elongated League. Dad tells me that the League is currently on the quarterfinals, I think."

"Top eight, huh?" Alex thought a little. He'd been following the league up until a few weeks ago. "Who's battling?"

"Right now? Ash and Paul."

"Wait, what!?" he suddenly barked. Glameow lazily looked up at him and growled, displeased at his action. Alex ignored her, and focused more on the previous statement. "Wha-? I wished Paul was gonna lose! But I'm glad he's fighting Ash of all people… Are they still battling _now_?"

Rika nodded, and thumbed to her house. "Yeah, my family is still watching. They're down to their last Pokémon too!" This time, Alex dropped Glameow to the floor and bolted back to his house. Rika faintly heard him yelling to his Grandmother that he's headed off to her house. The cat on the ground was picked up by Rika, who hugged her a little.

"Alex is a meanie, right Glameow?" she playfully asked. Glameow hissed in response.

"Okay! I'm going off!" Alex told when he emerged from his house. He ran, already ahead of her by some distance. "You comin'?"

"Y-yeah! Let's go, Glameow! Hopefully it isn't over." She quickly followed the boy on the short path to her house, with her hair flying behind her.

* * *

A still silence adopted the household as the noise on the television ceased. The two Pokémon that battled stood still after their powerful strikes connected. The two trainers of those Pokémon stared with their eyes narrowed at each other, waiting for the outcome. Maverick stood, hands clenched and brows furrowed; he waited.

"Come on...!" he pleaded quietly. The Dad also stood, face twisted showing signs of uncertainty, with arms crossed. Kimberly watched on, also quiet, holding a cup of coffee. "…Just a little more!" Maverick breathed.

Suddenly, Infernape flinched, and the young boy's heart wretched. Maverick breathed in sharply, but calmed soon after when the ape remained standing. Electivire dropped onto the floor of Lily of the Valley Stadium, defeated finally. Maverick slumped and flopped back onto the couch, and sighed tiredly.

"Finally! It's all over… Ash won!"

Jonathan grinned and unfurled his arms, happy with the results. "I'm glad. This is the farthest he's been in a League thus far. He trains hard, he deserves this win."

Maverick and Kimberly nodded in agreement. "I know," Maverick said as he felt the chills leave his body, "Top four."

The sounds of the television resumed when loud cheers erupted from the people watching in person. The crowed happily shouted Ash's name as said boy walked on the field, and tended to his Pokémon. The commentators on board spoke praises about the battle, and commended Ash Ketchum about beautiful coordination and his advancement as a competitor. Maverick watched on in awe as Ash and Infernape hugged happily.

"Ash…" he spoke quietly, as the largest smile adorned his lips. "I want to… do that, someday."

"Do you now?" Jonathan said as he looked at Maverick with a grin. The boy in question looked up and nodded slowly. Kimberly smiled with her eyes closed, and sipped her beverage. Jonathan turned the television off after looking at his son, pleased. He chuckled. "Well, some days are closer than you think."

The door opened and in came an out of breath Alex, with a lagging Rika behind him. The three-people turned their attention to the front door, surprised by the noise.

"Oh? Alex, hi." Kimberly said first, speaking what Maverick and his Dad thought. Rika took charge this time and made him follow her in.

"Hello, Mister and Missus Anderson," he responded with a slight bow. "Sorry for intruding. Rika says that the Sinnoh League was on and invited me over to watch. Is it finished?" he politely asked, as his face showed signs of agitation. Rika mentally facepalmed.

' _I didn't exactly "invite" you over…'_

"I'm sorry, but today's battles are over. You can still come on in, dinner will be served later. Oh yeah, your Grandma said you can stay over as well. She'll be joining us soon." Kimberly told a dejected Alex. As much as he was happy to hear about his staying over, he was very disappointed about missing the highlight of the league. Maverick took this time to walk over, and slung an arm around him.

"Hey, don't let it get to you. Listen, today's battle was probably THE MOST amazing thing I have ever seen! Paul's Electivire and Ash's Infernape were so cool! Infernape took a lot of hits, and its special ability activated and he totally swamped Electivire! Ash won!"

"Ash won!? ALRIGHT!" Alex's spirits were raised at this sudden information, evident by his fist being pumped in the air. "Top four, right?"

"Mmhmm!" Maverick nodded quickly. "The farthest he's ever been! He's totally going to win this." Maverick's eyes shined a little in admiration for the teenager that won not too long ago.

"Yeah. I have a feeling Ash could possibly beat his next opponent for the finals spot." Rika commented. Glameow dropped from her spot in Rika's arms and dashed over towards Kimberly who happily picked her up.

"Aww, hey Glameow!" she hugged. The cat purred in satisfaction. "How are your parents, Alex?"

"They're fine. They said they'd have to stay in Johto a tad bit longer, though."

"Ah, for work?" Jonathan asked, his tone suggested mild concern.

"Yeah…" Alex answered a little solemnly. "I miss them, but they said they'd be back before the end of the year."

"Well, I wish them the best of luck. Your Grandma should be here soon. Why don't we get some lunch until then?" Kimberly suggested.

"Sure, I'd love that. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson."

* * *

"…Happy birthday to-you!" Kimberly, Jonathan and Alex sang joyfully. Maverick and Rika were seated, embarrassed at being the center of attention. In front of them sat a rectangular cake decorated with the words, "Happy 13th, Maverick and Rika!", with candles surrounding the frosted message. Their faces illuminated the golden glow of the candles, making the two feel a little warm inside.

"Make a wish!" Alex pointed out. Rika looked at Maverick and then gestured towards the cake. They both closed their eyes and mouthed their desires.

' _I wish…'_ Maverick thought, _'to be a Pokémon Trainer. I wish I can travel the world and make memories with my friends and Pokémon.'_

With that thought in mind, the two opened their eyes and blew out the candles, cutting off the glowing warmth. Kimberly smiled wholeheartedly at her children's happy faces. "Here…" she said as she served the duo, "have some! Made it with the help of Alex's grandmother! She makes the best cakes in town!"

"Aww Kimberly, they're not that great." Alex's Grandmother said. She stood next to her grandson, and rubbed his head.

"Winona, they're amazing!" Jonathan said. "You'd always make them when Kim and I were kids. I'd always come to your house after school just to try some."

"Your Mom was a great helper. It was her recipe, after all!" Winona, identified as Alex's grandma, giggled.

"Wow, Mom, so this was Grandma's recipe?" Rika asked, bewildered with a spoon full of cake in hand. Kimberly nodded.

"Your Dad's mom, yes. I hope she's well in Unova." She said, and looked towards the wall on the far side of the house. There lay a picture of the parents of Jonathan and Kimberly at their wedding. Everyone in the picture had joyful looks on their faces. Kimberly blushed a little as she remembered back.

Maverick remained oblivious to their conversation. He ate his cake at a rapid pace, one thought clouding his mind. _'Man, this cake is awesome!'_

Alex walked over and watched the boy practically inhale his treat. "Hey, Mav! Look at your Thirteen-year-old body eating cake. Brings back memories," he smiled.

Maverick finished soon after and rolled his eyes at his remark. "Yeah? Dude, you're only eight months older than me. You talk is if it was thirty-five years ago!"

"I was thirteen a long time ago!"

"You're STILL thirteen."

"Eight months ago!"

"Hasn't been a year yet."

"You're no fun. Speaking of, who's older? You, or Rika?" Alex inquired. Maverick paused momentarily.

"I remember Mom saying I was at one point."

Rika, from wherever she was, ran over to Maverick and corrected him. "Wrong!"

"Wrong? Wrong what?" Maverick inquired.

"I'm older. Dad said I was." Rika thumbed to her father who looked towards them, confused at their conversation.

Maverick shook his head. "No, I am! Right, Mom?"

"As if! I'm the oldest!"

Kimberly and Jonathan looked at the other, with confusion written on their face, until it turned into a small smile. Kimberly winked at Maverick. "I'll tell you when you're a bit older, sweetie."

"What!? That's what you said last year!" Maverick groaned.

Jonathan smiled at his daughter. "I'll tell you next year, kay?"

Rika's mouth hung open in disbelief. "Daaad!" she pouted.

"You're no fun!" they both shouted, annoyed at their parent's antics. The adults laughed the children's expense.

"Haha, well here is something to lift your spirits! Presents!" Jonathan said, walking over to the living room.

"I think you might like them!" Kimberly said, following her husband. Winona followed soon, after cleaning up a bit. Maverick shrugged and the three of them followed after the adults, excitement building up within them. When they entered, they saw two white boxes, two gift bags, and the same envelope that Maverick remembered picking up earlier.

Kimberly picked up that bag to her left and called Maverick over. "Here honey. This one is for you."

"Thank you, Mom, Dad." The boy said as he held out a hand and took the handle from his mom. He opened the bag and peeked inside. Black and green material greeted his eyes, along with a brown cardboard box. He pulled out the contents, starting with the aforementioned material. In his hands hung a short-sleeved zip up sweater. The sleeves of the sweater were the green part he saw. The sweater was mainly black, except for the zipper, its track; and the hood that slumped in the back as well as its strings in green. Maverick smiled and folded it up neatly, picking up the next item. Dark blue regular jeans and a black belt attached were up next. He also folded it up neatly and thought it looked comfy. Next, he picked up the box and opened it. It was black running shoes.

Rika had her stuff out. An orange and blue long sleeved sweater, and white fitted jeans. She fished out a black shirt, along with black running shoes.

"Dad, I love it! Thanks!" she happily said.

"No problem, Rika." Jonathan replied. "It was your Mom's idea. However, this one was mine!"

He picked up the white envelope and smiled. "Here."

Rika took the envelope from his hand and opened it, with Alex and her brother crowding around it. Inside it stood a small card and a letter of some sorts. Rika fished out the letter and read it to the group.

" _Salutations, Maverick and Rika,_

 _My name is Professor Rowan. I'm sure you remember me from Trainer's School, yes? I've visited numerous times and explained some findings of my studies to your class. I am the leading researcher of Pokémon Evolution from Sandgem Town. I've found plenty of new information from my trips to Kanto and the faraway Kalos region, which I do hope to share with you all again sometime. Anyway, as you may have heard, tomorrow marks the day for Pokémon Distribution. It's a day where people of your age can get Pokémon for various things. Included, I enclosed a postcard with the pictures of the three starters of Sinnoh. Please, come tomorrow at Route 201 gateway to receive your starters, at 2 in the afternoon. I wish you the best of luck if you choose to journey with your Pokémon, I pray that you grow, and learn something about yourselves while you're at it._

 _I hope you enjoy your birthday present, you two._

 _In best regards,_

 _Professor Rowan"_

The duo's eyes were wide open in disbelief. The grownups smiled at their reactions. "So, what do you think? You guys were old enough, and you completed Trainer's School. Maverick, you were saying you wanted to do what Ash did? Well, I think this is the best birthday present I can give you. Guys, in two days from now, you both will be able to go on a journey. I think you both deserve it. Your mother and I were Trainers, traveling with each other before we married, so I only think it's fair that you do the same." Jonathan said with a small smile.

"You too, Alexander," Winona spoke, piquing Alex's attention. "I spoke with your parents just the other day. They wanted you to go on a journey also. I think you need it as well. I already brought in your gear for the journey ahead, as well as a change of clothes and some money."

Alex's smile fell a little. He hesitated. "But, what about you and Glameow?"

"Oh, we'll be fine! You should go on ahead. Jonathan and Kimberly here are more than enough company for us. I remember you raving on about seeing your parents sometime, but they want you to travel Sinnoh first. They said there's something here in Sinnoh for you; you just have to look for the right person to get it!"

"So how about it? Want to get your Pokémon tomorrow?" Kimberly asked with a smile. The response was almost automatic.

"YES!" the trio shouted with hands clenched. They couldn't believe the time finally come. They all high-fived, and laughed all the while.

' _Finally,'_ the three of them thought, _'we're getting a Pokémon!'_

It seems like good things does come to those who wait, after all.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **To be continued**_ **.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Now we know more about Maverick, Rika and their friend Alex. It turns out they'll be going on a journey after all! We now know that Maverick looks up to Ash, and wishes to do what he did. Alex and Rika received some bits of info about themselves in this chapter, too. Their roles will be expanded upon as the story goes along.**

 **Once again, a big thank you to all who decided to read this story! And a bigger thank you to** _ **Epicocity**_ **,** _ **Ryu Taylor the Ferret**_ **and** _ **LovingGinger30**_ **for leaving me your thoughts on last chapter, and those who followed/ favorited. This story is four years in the making, and I'm genuinely happy to share my work with you all once again.**

 **Well! With that being said, tell me what you think about this chapter, I'd love to know. Feel free to PM me your thoughts as well. Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter and occasionally check my profile here on FF for news, updates and upcoming artwork for the story. Thank you all!**

 **Always remember to Live Long and Shine on!  
** **~XDiamondX90**


	3. A Scarring Sight

**Hey everyone. It's been a while, sorry for the delay. I hope you're having a marvelous summer. Anyway, on to Chapter 3. This is an important chapter.**

 **I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
** **Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

 **Chapter 3: A Scarring Sight**

* * *

The moon was brightly lit on the late evening in Sinnoh, providing light to the travelers as they braved on through the region. The wild Pokémon were quiet tonight, having taken refuge in their warm homes, sleeping. It was dark, and Maverick had to break it to himself no matter how hard he tried.

He couldn't sleep.

He kept recounting what happened earlier in the day, how his parents surprised him with the idea of going on a journey, and the fact that tomorrow, he'll be getting his very own Pokémon. That made him feel nervously excited. The young boy's face scrunched as he grumbled dejectedly, his voice carrying the tone of boredom.

"Mgh… Ah! I can't sleep…" he sighed to himself, with his eyebrows drooping in disdain. He frowned as the thought of tomorrow found its way back in his head. Not that he wasn't glad, but he was tired and wanted to at least get _some_ shuteye, but his excitement prevented that action. He crossed his arms as he began to think about what he can possibly do at this late hour. If sleeping was no good, then why try?

The moon's light bled through the window, illuminating the bare white walls of his room. It brought on a sense of calming into his body…

Maybe he shouldn't get so worked up over sleep, he thought. It won't do him good in the morning, after all. Maverick slowly shuffled out of his blue bedsheets and sauntered over to the window, increasing his field of view. Just beyond Twinleaf Town, facing Mt. Coronet, he saw a wide expansive blanket of bushy tall trees, sandy patches and an ocean extending as far as the eye can see. Just in front of him, the light of the moon revealed a beautiful display of dark blue on silvery white. The night sky had stars dotted along the surface, twinkling ever so slightly. Twinleaf's golden glow from the houses illuminated the ground below, all leading up to Route 201 gateway- the place where start of their journey will begin.

"Two days from now," he spoke quietly, almost a whisper. "That's where I'll have to go. The three of us, along with our Pokémon…"

His breath got caught as he felt a small twang of sadness develop in his heart. He'll be leaving his family in just a short while, he realized. Was he ready to take on such an almost intimidating challenge? He boasted about how he wanted to do what Ash did, being a Trainer and all; but he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive about this whole thing. A brow rose to show his confusion, and he stared at the moon, as if asking for answers.

"I wonder how it'll feel like? Being out on the road almost every day. Sleeping under a blanket of stars…"

The moon gave him a warm glow in response. Despite its inviting warmth, the boy continued to ponder what task lied before him. He heard a slight fluttering sound, causing him to look up. A few Starly and Staraptor glided in the air, darkened by the glow of the moon. The dark didn't seem to bother them in the slightest…

"The dark," he voiced. "and they're just flying through it…"

This suddenly made Maverick realize that there may be some challenges to be faced. He watched as the birds crossed over the bright moon, illuminating their figure.

Maverick shook his head of the thoughts and cracked a smile. "Nah, I'm just thinking too much. Of course, we'll all be OK! We'll grow strong together. Nothing can stand in our way to bring us down…at least, I hope."

His smile faded a little as his eyes grew a little heavy. "…Tomorrow is a big day. I _do_ need to sleep. Maybe a bedtime snack might help." He stepped away from the window and stretched, throwing his arms up. He inched forward and made his way to the door, making doubly sure not to step on Alex (whose body was skewed every which way). He opened the door slowly, and felt the cool air wash over his body. He shivered in content a little, remembering how hot it was previously.

The teen stepped into the hallway, crossed over the stairs, and soon found himself in the kitchen. Maverick turned on the light and cringed at the sudden change of lighting. After recollecting himself, and shaking his head, he began to rummage through the cupboards and pantry, bringing out a cup, sugar and cookies. He then opened the fridge and got the milk. He prepared his snack, pouring milk into the cup, applying sugar and taking a few cookies, and stirring.

There, it was done. A yummy, yet tiresome snack. He smiled at his handiwork.

"Maverick? Is that you down there?"

He turned at the quiet sound of footsteps, and saw that his mother called out to him. He yawned and nodded. "Yeah- ahhh…" He rubbed tears from his eye. Kimberly made her way down and walked into the kitchen.

"Why are you down here this late at night, honey? It's almost midnight. I thought Rika was down here…" Her tone suggested she was tired, that thought solidified when she yawned and rubbed her eye a little. Maverick nodded and grabbed a cookie.

"I couldn't sleep, mom. So, I thought a snack might help." he answered. She walked over and took a few cookies for herself.

"That happens," she smiled at her son. Maverick took a sip of his milk and smiled back, wearing a milk mustache. Kimberly giggled. "Your face…"

"Uh, what about it?" he asked with genuine confusion.

"Here." She grabbed a napkin and wiped off his manly feature. Kimberly gave her son a knowing look while she did so. "I…actually couldn't sleep myself."

This piqued Maverick's attention. "Why not, mom?" he asked. She threw the napkin away and gave her son a sigh.

"Well, it looks like you'll be leaving home soon. You're going to be leaving me with just your father at home, right?"

"Oh. That's what it looks like…" he sighed. That twang of sadness crept back up for another round. He slumped a little in his chair when the breath escaped his body. "I just don't think I'm ready to go so soon."

"Haha, nonsense." The woman said with a small laugh. "I know you're more than ready for what's ahead. With your progress from Trainer's School, and your expressiveness of going on a journey for so long, I know you can do it."

Maverick perked up a bit. "You think so, mom?"

She nodded. "Definitely. You'll do just fine."

His predicament gave her an idea. "You know…" she began, shifting in her spot a little. "I was in your shoes once."

"Really…?"

"Mmhm. As you know, I used to be a Pokémon Coordinator. Like you, I was apprehensive about pursuing my career choice. I trained with my Pokémon, teaching them all sorts of moves, and we tried bunches of combinations. Before we knew it, we found ourselves in the Jubilife Contest Hall. We put all our experiences to the test, and I found myself walking away with the Jubilife Ribbon. Since then, I knew I had what it takes to become a Coordinator. I suffered some losses to my great friend Beverly, but I never gave up. Eventually, her and I made it to the finals of the Grand Festival. We gave it everything we had. It was super close, but I managed to win the 25th Grand Festival. I went on to becoming a Top Coordinator and entering the Advanced Coordination League.

"What I'm trying to say is, it's normal to feel a little reluctant to accept the fact you'll be leaving, but you can't let that serve as a roadblock to becoming something great. The road may be hard, but you have to find the courage to trek it." She then poked a finger at Maverick's chest, particularly where his heart was. "When traveling, you'll experience different types of people with different types of motives for their journeying. Some will come from a good place…and others, not so much. You may face great challenges, but those challenges are there to build you up, not break you down."

Kimberly considered Maverick's eyes so she can give her message across. Maverick stared back and saw that her eyes held many emotions. Fear, worry, happiness, being proud. He knew what she was going to say next came directly from the heart. Her voice was shaky.

"You have to remember to never give up until it's over. Maverick, please, when you go on your journey with Rika and Alex, please remember to be safe, OK? Do your best, and remember to make memories with your friends and Pokémon. Please, train hard, and make me proud!" She then leaned forward and gave him the sincerest hug she could muster. The teen felt small teardrops on his back. Maverick understood, and nodded slightly. He closed his arms around his mother and shut his eyes. He felt his mother's embrace and remembered it.

He was going to miss this dearly…

"Yeah…" Maverick said quietly. "I'll do just that. Thank you, mom." She let go of him slowly and Maverick saw that her face was wet. She had meant every word she had said.

"Ok..." She wiped her face a little with her arm and sniffled. The largest smile suddenly brightened her up when she saw that her boy was smiling back at her. "Are you feeling better now, honey?"

Maverick nodded.

She giggled softly. "Alright, my little Pokémon Master. It's midnight now. Get to bed so you can meet your Pokémon tomorrow! You don't want to be tired when that happens, yeah?"

"Right, mom. Goodnight!" He quickly downed his milk and ate his cookies. Before heading up the stairs, he gave his mom one last hug, and parted ways for the night.

* * *

A scream made his eyes dart open.

He jerked his body up from his laid position on the floor, the sudden motion giving his once resting body much discomfort. His back screamed at him for causing it pain, but he ignored it, and tried to get his bearings straight. He blinked his eyes a couple times, trying to get his sight to focus. When it did, he looked up, and looked around. All around him, was black. It was an eerie dark backdrop, only making the teen confused at his surroundings.

This wasn't his room…

"Where…am I?" he asked slowly, as if he was expecting an answer.

He picked himself up from the dark floor and dusted himself off. It was then that he noticed that he was wearing his new clothes he received from his birthday. The black and green jacket, and dark blue jeans. Only this time, he found himself to be wearing a grey shirt underneath, with a black neckline. He didn't pay much mind to his clothing; he was more concerned about that scream he heard.

"Hello…?" he called quietly, a hand to his mouth to project his voice louder. His brow scrunched a little when he heard his voice echo all around him in response. "Who made that scream?" he asked.

' _Weird…'_

He began to walk aimlessly, his field of view nothing but the color black. His steps echoed around him, only making the boy feel a bit uneasy. His arms crossed as his face began show signs of his confusion. The darkness only appeared to be getting darker as he made his way to whatever destination he didn't have planned.

"Where the heck am I? This is strange…" He didn't get it. Was he still sleeping or was he really…?

There was a muffled noise behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hello?" he asked this time, only more certain. Okay, so there _is_ something here. But what? Maverick turned at the sound and kept his gaze at the dreary abyss. He uncrossed his arms and stood a little edgy. "Who's there…? I'm kind of lost…"

The response he got was in the form of fast skittering. The hurried steps made the boy dart his head left and right, trying to find the source. "Where are...!?"

A flash of white and red blew past him and continued to run. "W-woah!"

The sudden flash made him trip over his steps when he stumbled backwards. His hands scrambled to regain his ground. He was breathing quickly, his heart practically leaped a few miles at the scare. He then furrowed his brow. "Okay! Who's there!?" he demanded.

"…Zang."

His eyes instantly bugged out as he leaped out of his skin at the sound. As soon as Maverick calmed down enough, he slowly turned around to the sight of a white creature with a strange red marking across his face. The creature's eyes were narrowed, its fangs bared. It did not look happy.

"W-w-w-wha-!"

"Where do you think _you're_ going?!" a voice said. Maverick took his eyes off the strange creature and looked up, backing away slowly as he did so. The creature only took this chance to inch forward on all fours. He kept moving away from the thing until he felt something press against his back. Maverick tensed and quickly turned around once again.

' _Is this…a tree?'_ he asked in his head. _'What's a tree doing in the middle of nowhere? And who was that?'_

The white creature now had him cornered. It then stood up on its hind legs, and Maverick soon realized it was somewhat humanoid. He didn't miss the giant, razor sharp claw it had either.

"You have the audacity to try to run away. How foolish can you get?" the voice spat. Maverick tried to discern the voice that was being spoken to him. It was rough, unhappy, and intense? That's extreme, but that's the most Maverick could infer. "Now, before I get angrier than I already am, I highly suggest you hand over those Pokémon."

This made Maverick rise a brow in confusion. He put a hand to his side, finding nothing but an open palm looking back at him. Aside from the angry creature in front of him, Maverick couldn't notice any Pokémon in sight. _'What Pokémon? I don't have any Pokémon with me,'_ he answered back thoughtfully. The creature in front of him only stepped in closer when he wasn't complying.

"You never listen, even after all these months. I'm getting sick of you… Zangoose! Use-!"

" _Leave these Pokémon alone!"_ a loud voice adjacent of Maverick suddenly yelled out, cutting off the stranger. Maverick snapped at the source as the darkness around him exploded into a lush, green forest. Sunlight broke through the canopy, finally bringing light to the boy's eye. He was located just off a dirt path, with his back pressed against a wide tree. There were many trees situated next to each other, creating somewhat of a blockade. He looked to the front of him, only to find that the white creature wasn't ahead of him at all. To the right, a little girl wearing what looked to be a blue dress was clutching to two small Pokémon, with the white creature staring her down. She was crying, and she was slowly moving away from the white creature fearfully. Maverick soon realized that he was off to the side, not getting attacked, but observing something instead.

"You really _are_ a pain. Time and time again, you get it in my way, and then when it's your turn, you still are bein' a hard ass. Even in the face of danger, you still dare to defy…" the voice Maverick heard earlier spoke up. Just ahead of the Pokémon that Maverick assumed was Zangoose, a man stood vigilant, with arms crossed and a glare etched on his face. A van was placed behind him, with an open door leading to the back. It seemed awfully high tech. "In that case, Zangoose, get that brat!"

The young girl's eyes grew wide with fear as she quickly scrambled away from it. The gold and brown Pokémon in her arms trying to conceal themselves with their limbs and body, curling up into a ball if they had to. The little girl soon found herself dashing up the beaten path, her heart racing. The Zangoose lunged after her hurriedly, quickly gaining ground. Its claws made tracks, clearly defining how sharp they are. The girl looked back and screamed when she saw how close Zangoose was to her. Her looking back caused her to trip over a root sticking out of the ground. She slid and tumbled, her blue flower patterned dress dirtying with every flip. The Pocket Monsters in her arms jumped out as the Zangoose grabbed hold of her. She screamed and cried as the Cat Ferret Pokémon picked her up, her legs were kicking as she tried to break free.

Maverick screamed out and got up from his position, his face written in fury. _'This man's a bad guy!'_

The man smirked. He pulled out a Pokéball, and stepped forward. "Good job, Zangoose. Pangoro, get that scum from him while Zangoose gets the two," he commanded as a white and black Pokémon appeared. It was huge, and it looked rough, as if it has seen better days. It gave off an intimidating complexion, which seemed to fit its behavior. The massive Pokémon walked forward quickly, silencing the once screaming girl. She looked up fearfully as he stared down at her. She breathed in sharply as she looked in its eyes.

"Re…"

"V-vie."

"No…" she started. The Zangoose loosed his grip as he handed her off to his comrade. The Pangoro grabbed her and propped her underneath its arm when the Zangoose dashed forward to grab her Pokémon. "Nononono! Riolu, Eevee! Get out of here quick! Run!" she cried as tears streamed down her face. Maverick was inclined to go running to the girl, but he hesitated. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know he had to help her. Except, he couldn't. His legs stayed glued to the spot, shaking. His breathing was fast paced, and his eyes were wide with fear. He was frozen.

' _I…I have to help her! What's going on?! I can't move!'_

The man walked forward with a missile looking device in his hands this time. It was now that Maverick was really able to get a good look at him. Black, long sleeved shirt, navy pants, and combat boots. A goatee was present on his face, and his eyes were narrowed. He smirked. "I told you I'll be taking these Pokémon. It's about time that you find yourself stuck, unable to do anything. And I like that, you're vulnerable. Heh. It's almost sad, but I'll be doing it anyway. It pays good money."

"Agh! You…monster." the girl said, an eyelid closed. She kicked harder, but the Pangoro held a strong grip. "I don't know why you want them so much!"

The Riolu and Eevee ran a few meters ahead before the Zangoose caught up to them. The Riolu stopped, and held Eevee back.

"Lu…!" it barked fearfully, with its hand raised. The Zangoose slowed to a crawl and looked as if it tried to stifle a laugh. Before the Riolu could react, the Zangoose swiped his hand and managed to snatch them both up. The two yelped as they were taken, and cried out when they were squeezed harshly. The Zangoose's claws were threatening to rip them both to shreds.

"Shut your mouth. I don't wanna hear another squeak from you. Your Riolu is quite interesting, actually. Rare, even. That's why I'm after it. My superior doesn't exactly like taking 'empty handed' for an answer. Zangoose! Bring them over so I can tie 'em up."

"Zang." Complying with the order, the Ferret walked over to the man. The older male cocked the missile like device and fired when the Zangoose dropped them. A white-ish blue net captured the Riolu and dug into its body, and it screamed in immense pain. The girl cried as she saw what was happening to her Pokémon. The Eevee backed away as the man approached it.

"L-Lu! Rio!" Riolu called out as it squirmed. It was worried for the poor Eevee.

"Hm, I swear this'll only hurt a little," he laughed as he fired a brown net at the foxlike Pokémon. The net wrapped itself around the Eevee and dug into its body. The Eevee cried out and fainted on the spot. Maverick's eyes went wide and his hands clenched.

 _'Gah!'_ Maverick thought to himself. _'What can I do? They're getting taken! My stupid body can't...move!'_

"No! Eevee! Riolu!"

The poacher grabbed to two Pokémon off the ground and walked to his van, and threw them inside. Riolu yelped when his head slammed against the back of the truck. The blow was harsh, and it ended up knocking him down for the count. The little girl struggled to get out of Pangoro's arms but to no avail. She fought and screamed for help, but her cries fell on deaf ears.

"Finally got those two," he muttered as he shut the back door. He turned and smirked triumphantly as the girl cried harder, yelling to give them back. "Face it! They're mine now. There's no way you can get out no matter how hard you try. You've been a nuisance to me for a while now, I'm glad to have finally put you in your place."

The girl held a fearful gaze at the man. "You…" she said quietly. She seemed to have calmed when she realized there really _was_ nothing she can do. Her limbs dropped defeatedly and her cries ceased.

"S'about damn time you stopped, Arceus." The poacher walked up to them and sneered. "Pangoro, hold her steady."

The Pokémon immediately followed its order. It switched its grip on the girl, holding her arms and making her look forward at his master. The girl squirmed as the pressure on her arms increased. The poacher stopped in his tracks.

"Listen to me," he demanded. "I'm taking your Pokémon for good reason. When the boss heard of your intervening and I saw those two Pokémon, I knew I had to take 'em. You remember that time, yeah?"

She nodded.

"You helped her out. Unfortunately, a month ago…hehe."

She started shaking. "N-no, you didn't…"

"But I did! She had nobody to help her! Now, look around you! Nobody is here to help you in the slightest." He motioned his hands all around the two. True to his word, there was nobody here. They were quite away from the next town over. Nobody could hear the girl out here.

Maverick gritted his teeth. He was rooted at his spot. He was the only one out here that can actually do something. _'...I can't protect her.'_

"Haha," the man continued. "I almost feel sorry for you." The man lost his smirk and a scowl appeared on his face. "Step in my way again and you'll be sorry. To ensure you don't do anything reckless when I'm done here," he motioned towards his Zangoose and threw his hand out.

"Crush Claw! Attack her directly!" he ordered. The Zangoose was more than happy to carry it out. It smirked and sped towards the girl. Its black claw grew dark red and elongated, becoming sharper with every step the Zangoose made.

Maverick tensed as it moved closer. ' _He can't be serious! That'll…'_

"Zanngoose!" it cried, swiping its arm forward. The arm moved swiftly…

And slashed her directly in the face, ripping it.

The girl flew through the air, leaving the Panda's grip, blood flying out, before landing harshly on the ground. She did not move.

"Hahaha! Excellent!" The man laughed. "Return you two! I feel that boss will be happy with today's results," the male said. The two Pokémon returned and the man walked back to the van, his boots making tracks on the dirt below. He pulled up his arm and spoke, activating something.

"Incoming. J, they're secured, and the girl has been dealt with. I'll be returning to base momentarily," he spoke sinisterly into his watch as he hopped in. Maverick watched silently as he drove off, leaving the bloody girl behind. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Did that just really happen?

Life found its way back into his legs, and he instantly burst from his spot. He dashed over to the unconscious girl, his heart racing with every step. He slowed when he approached her and he took a gander at the damage. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The young girl's dress was wrinkled and littered with dirt and mud. It was torn, exposing some skin underneath. Her brown and gold hair was skewed messily around her face this time, the tumbling from earlier undoing her braids. And her face…

Maverick shied away from the sight. That's when everything around him disappeared into dark nothingness. The girl moaned a little, before she disappeared as well.

' _I couldn't do anything. She…'_

* * *

"…She…she…"

"She what?"

"She…I couldn't…"

"Spit it out…"

"She…she- "

"Arceus, WAKE UP!" Alex yelled, shaking Maverick awake. The scream made his eyes dart open. Maverick instantly shot up from his bed and smacked Alex on the forehead with his very own. The blow made Alex stumble back while Maverick clutched his head in pain.

What a way to wake up.

"Dammit!"

"Ow ow ow…" Alex moaned. He pitched an eye open, looking at his friend who was now lying on his back with his hands to his face. Maverick almost never cursed. "Mav, what happened?" he asked.

"Arceus, my head." Maverick whined. He ignored Alex's question and closed his eyes. Aside from the pounding headache, all Maverick could think about was what happened. The girl, her Pokémon, the Zangoose, and that man. Who was that girl? Why did he have that dream? Who was that man? Why did that man hurt her the way he did? It all happened so fast.

He opened an eye and saw that he was finally in a safe place. His room. It was finally brightened up from the sun.

Today was the day he'll be receiving his Starter Pokémon. He'll be starting his journey tomorrow morning.

.

.

.

 _ **To be continued.**_

* * *

 **Thank you, guys, for reading. This chapter was quite the doozy to write, but I had tons of fun. That girl and that poacher were actually characters that my friend** _ **LovingGinger30**_ **created. We talked for a long time, developing the two of them, and eventually created a subplot that'll tie into the main storyline later down the road. Not much info was revealed about the girl other than her interesting Riolu and Eevee. But, for the Poacher, and his superior...well, more information will be revealed at a later date.**

 **So, the time finally came for Maverick and co. to receive their Starters. Who do you think they'll choose? The answer is to come next chapter.**

 **Thank you to** _ **Ryu Taylor the Ferret**_ **for leaving your thoughts last chapter. Be sure to review to tell me your thoughts on this one! Sorry it took so long to upload. I wanted to make sure everything was _as quality as it could be._ So please, your response'll mean the world to me. Tell me how I did on this one!**

 **Be sure to Live Long and Shine On, until next update!**

 **~XDiamondX90**


	4. A Starting Point

**Whew** **. This chapter, Arceus, I struggled just to write this. I never imagined a chapter like this being longer than the original length of 5 thousand. Well, my longest I've ever written in my writing career lies before your very eyes. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's an important one!**

 **I'll see you at the bottom! Now I need to take a nap…**

* * *

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
** **Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

 **Chapter 4: A Starting Point**

* * *

The blinding sun flooded through the room with its warm light on the early morning in Sinnoh, providing a better light for the travelers as they traversed through the region. The wild Pokémon were lively today, taking a few steps out of their homes and enjoying themselves in the warm weather. It was morning, and Maverick had to break it to himself no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

His head hurt.

"Arceus, Alex…" he whined, still holding his head from the collision from earlier. He was on his bed, writhing in pain, causing his bedsheets to get disheveled from his movements. _His favorite way of greeting the morning._ "Do you _have_ to be over me when I'm sleeping?"

The boy in question glanced up from the floor. He, too, was holding his head in obvious pain, his dirty blond locks being squished by his hand. He tried to shake off the pain and attempt to stand up at his question. He didn't ask for a headache this early in the morning either. He groaned. "Ow…Y-you were being weird, so I just decided to check in on you. I didn't think you'd hurt me in the process," was the comment which the other teen ignored. Thinking about his sudden start, Alex grew curious. "You were saying something about a 'she', 'I couldn't'... What was that about?" he inquired, now rubbing his head.

Maverick just sighed as he was reminded about that dream he had last night. He remembered it all clearly, this dream had yet to vanish from his head. He reflected on that poor little girl getting hurt. The way that Zangoose's attack ripped right through her face, how her strange looking Riolu tried protecting her Eevee, and how that man…Maverick shivered.

"I don't want to think about it," he whispered to himself, gripping his head tighter.

His eyebrows drooped and a frown tugged at his lips; he couldn't help it. It was just… _so real_. It was almost as if he was there himself, witnessing what happened. The earth felt too real beneath his feet, and the air he breathed in was fresh, too vivid enough to be a dream. He remembered how frozen he was, how his body made it nearly impossible to run and help that poor girl. He was forced to watch in horror. As he kept remembering, he grew confused, frustrated, afraid. What was that about, anyway? Why him? Who was that? How did it all start? Where were they? When did this take place…?

Did this really happen?

The questions kept swirling, nearly driving him insane. He didn't have answers to these, but the voices kept bombarding him nonstop, until, finally, he had enough. Maverick shook his head, this time really trying to rid himself of such thoughts.

"I don't know," he sighed out in defeat, his fist angrily clenched.

"Well…whatever it was," Alex replied slowly, noticing his delirious state, standing up and putting his hand at his side. He looked to be recovered, his head no longer pounded, much to his relief. "Don't think about it much. On a brighter note, know what today is?" He asked, doing a complete 180 of the subject at hand. The way he asked Maverick made it seem like it was a good thing, given his sudden mood change and straightened posture. Maverick calmed when he saw his happy mood, and soon realized it was morning. With his head finally clear, he searched his brain for an answer, but the only thing that came up was that his head still hurt.

"I'm currently blanking. Want to remind me?"

Alex's mood instantly deflated and was replaced with a surprised look. "What? How could you forget? Today is the day we get our _Starter Pokémon!_ Remember?"

Maverick simply stared at the boy in front of him.

Starter Pokémon?

"Oh… _Oh right_!" he groaned, as he smacked himself at his forgetfulness. He couldn't blame himself, after what happened that previous night. But still, how could he forget such an important thing? This is the day he practically dreamed of since he was a child!

"…Whatever you dreamed of must've really affected you. But anyway, I finally decided on who I'm choosing over sleep! It was a tough choice."

"…You decided over sleep?" Maverick asked, looking at the boy plainly.

"Uh huh." He nodded, almost triumphantly. "Well, I actually didn't think I'd get a Starter or something until Mom and Dad came home…" Alex admitted with his volume growing quieter. His posture slackened slightly, but it straightened once again when he put a smile on his face. "I'm glad grandma talked to them, though. So, I know who I'm choosing. Do you know?"

Now that he was asked, Maverick realized he never gave it much thought. He remembered that there were three options, the Grass type, Water type and the Fire type. Any of the three will do, honestly. He sat up and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish look. "Uh, I never really…" he trailed off, casting his window a shy look.

At this, Alex threw his hands up, seemingly done with his antics, although unintentional. "Mav! You seriously haven't thought of it? Dude, you wanted to go on a journey for the longest time and you haven't thought of a Pokémon to choose from?"

Maverick put his hands up in surrender hurriedly. "Hey! I was just excited I was going to receive one!"

Alex just sighed. "Maverick, you're hopeless. First, you have this weird dream, then you don't decide on who you're choosing as your partner. Next thing I'll know, I'll become the World Champion while you're still training…you gotta pick up the pace, man." Alex said with a steady snap of his fingers.

Maverick followed his fingers and began nodding slowly, he's always been the slower one out of the three. "Yeah, I know, I know."

"No, you literally have to pick up the pace. It's almost noon time." Alex pointed out, signaling his hand towards the alarm clock seated on Maverick's bedside table. Maverick widened his eyes in confusion, and leaned down to take a gander. Sure enough, etched in bright blue numbers was the time. "See? 11:23." Alex told him. It was now Maverick looked at him. He was dressed in a blue collared shirt, and was wearing khaki jeans.

"What? How long was I out?" asked Maverick as he flew out of his bed, revealing his blue pajamas. He shuffled towards the bathroom connected to his room, intending to get ready for the day ahead. Alex leaned down and began organizing his duffle bag containing his sleepwear when Glameow sauntered in. The door creaked at her arrival.

"You've been knocked out for a while. I wanted to wake you earlier but you were sleeping so soundly, that is, until you started acting weird." he answered, taking some time to scratch Glameow. Maverick appeared to be brushing his teeth, vaguely annoyed at the thought of his reply.

"Ish Weka ah ache?" he bubbled out, and looked himself in the mirror. Alex looked at him from the cracked open door and nodded slowly, not quite understanding him. Glameow seemed to, as she meowed in response.

"Uh, if you're asking about Rika, she is awake. We haven't eaten yet though," came Alex's response. Maverick nodded and finished his morning rituals. After stepping out and changing into a green T-shirt and black jeans, the group of three headed down to the kitchen where they greeted Maverick's father who was seated with a cheery Rika across from him. Glameow leaped from Alex's arms and bounded towards a very calm Kimberly who was cooking breakfast. Rika looked up and smiled gladly at the two.

"It's about time you decided to come down," she spoke, resting her face on her hand. Her hair was neatly combed, her bangs not getting in the way this time. "I was getting antsy."

"Sorry," Maverick replied sheepishly once again. "I didn't realize I slept for so long. Didn't really intend to…"

"Well, you're here now. That's all that matters." The Dad spoke up, looking at his son. "Sleep well?"

The two of them took a seat and the teens nodded on their way down (Maverick's nod was slower, however). "What's for breakfast, Mrs. Anderson?" Alex asked. "And for that matter, where's Grandma?"

The woman looked up from her pancake flipping and casted a smile down at the guest. "Oh, your Grandma went home for the day, she said she had something to take care of. Though, she'll be returning later. As for breakfast, pancakes and sausages," she replied as she put her frying pan down. The aroma from the food filled their nostrils and it made them swoon happily. It was a good thing, Alex was starving.

"Big day ahead, huh?" Jonathan suggested, changing the subject. He leaned forward a little and rested his hands on the table, giving the three of them reassuring gazes. Alex, Maverick and Rika looked back at him with grins growing on their faces. They couldn't believe the day was finally here. Staying in one place was no longer the task starting tomorrow. The sadness that Maverick felt was almost nonexistent at this point, being replaced with a growing excitement just asking to come out. They nodded.

"Yeah," Rika responded, lifting her head up. "I'm glad!"

Alex's grin grew wider. "Can't believe the day is finally here!"

Maverick gave a happy sigh in response. "It's about time."

Jonathan chuckled, and leaned back. "I understand that feeling, that's how I felt when it was my time to receive my Starter years ago. Times were much simpler back then, yes?" he asked, glancing towards his wife.

She gave a small smile as she began serving the food. "They sure were. I miss those days."

Jon held up two fingers. "You have two hours. Have you all thought which Pokémon you're choosing? It's a tough choice, I can tell you first hand." He put his hand down and looked expectantly at the teenagers. As if on que, Rika pulled out the card containing a picture of the three Starters of the Sinnoh Region. Underneath the picture were their names, colored accordingly. "Piplup, Turtwig and Chimchar."

Rika and Maverick sent their gaze onto the card while Alex leaned back and smiled triumphantly. "I decided over sleep, but I'm not spilling. It's a secret!"

"Why…?" Rika questioned, her eyes never leaving the card.

"My lips are sealed," the boy finalized, earning a huff from the girl. She rolled her eyes and instantly went back to looking. Upon sliding her gaze on a certain Pokémon, she breathed in happily and almost shoved the card in her brother's face, which earned her a groan.

"I've decided!" she stated happily.

"Have you?" asked Kimberly, surprised by her outburst. "Who'd you choose?"

Rika shook her head and motioned with her hands to her mouth. Two can play it that game. "Like Alex, I'm not telling!" At this, the father raised his eyebrows, amused at their behavior. Meanwhile, Maverick lifted the card from his face and looked over the three slowly, analyzing them. Kimberly noticed his confused, slightly unsure face as she walked over, holding food in each hand. She set the plates down and spoke to him.

"A thing I learned," she started, getting her son's attention, "is that you have to choose wisely. Not for appearance or power, but the one you feel you'll have a connection with. Pokémon are tough creatures, make the wrong decision, and it'll cost you." At this new bit of info, all three teenagers present froze and looked up with horrified faces, though that mostly came from Alex. Kimberly stifled a laugh as she laid Alex's plate down. The Dad rolled his eyes a bit while Glameow yawned, now underneath the table. She yawned in response. "I'm only teasing. You're over thinking this a bit much. Try to relax, sweetie."

Maverick's hands shook a little as he attempted to relax at her words. Geez, his mom didn't have to scare him like that. Still, Maverick thought, it really was a tough choice. Having a connection? What does that mean? He looked over the figures on the card and mentally sighed. _'I wonder who I'll choose,'_ he thought.

"Mom, Dad, I honestly have no clue…" he replied quietly. His parents nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

"Your father was in the same place you are in," his Mother started. "I remember he had to keep a younger Professor Rowan waiting for almost three days just for his answer," she winked towards her husband. His face turned red and he looked away embarrassed.

"They didn't have to know that…"

"Isn't there any time where you two weren't like us when you were younger?" Rika asked with a small giggle. That caused everyone to laugh a little. Finally, with their food served, all of them began eating happily. Glameow purred in response to her food being so tasty.

"It's only natural. Every beginning Trainer feels this way at some point. Don't think about your decision too much, when the time comes, the answer will be as clear as day," the older woman concluded. Maverick had to say she could be right. He could only guess that his mind was still jumbled up from the night prior, but now is no time to be thinking about such things.

Today is supposed to be a happy day.

Speaking of today, Maverick remembered, it was supposedly the day that the Sinnoh League is ending. There's three matches today, being the final four and the top two.

"Hey, Dad?" he called, causing his father to look up in response. "Wasn't today the day the Sinnoh League ends?"

The question made Jonathan's eyebrows raise, he momentarily forgot all about it. He finished chewing up his pancake and swallowed, before clearing his throat. "Right, hang on. Where is that remote…" He proceeded to stand and head towards the living room. Alex made a noise in surprise and immediately hurried to finish his food, making an embarrassed Rika smile nervously at his pace. Maverick could only copy his friend, as he too gobbled up his food and went towards the living area. His Mom shook her head at the three's behavior.

"Boys and their battles…" she commented, her tone filled with amusement.

"Tell me about it," Rika agreed, also finishing her food at a faster, but neater rate than the males, to which Kimberly could only raise an eyebrow at. Her daughter noticed and slowed a little. "Mom, I'm not much of a battle person, but it's interesting enough to view and give insight on," she stated matter-of-factly.

Kimberly could only stifle a small giggle. "No complaints here, honey. Let's say we finish up and see what all the commotion's about."

* * *

The males were relaxing around the television, the teens eagerly stared at it as a program came on. Onscreen, the words "Jubilife TV" appeared, before fading away to pictures revealing the four finalists of this year's Sinnoh League. The most recognizable being Ash Ketchum in the upper left, a strange looking man across from him, and two others underneath.

"It's that time again!" A voice on the tv spoke to them enthusiastically. The pictures onscreen were minimized to show a beautiful lady giving them all a dazzling smile. She had shining brown hair and blue eyes laced with undying determination. "Today is the day that this year's Lily of the Valley Conference is coming to an end! All one hundred twenty-eight Trainers that have appeared and fought valiantly have dwindled down to four! These four Trainers have given their all this year, and now, they'll continue to battle it out in a series of six on six matchups to determine the winner!

"My name is Rhonda, and I'm with _Sinnoh Now_ , bringing you the ' _portal to what's hip and happening in Sinnoh!'_ " And there it was, the motto that was well known throughout the region. _Sinnoh Now_ was stationed under the _Jubilife TV Network,_ and is the most popular news outlet in the region. It broadcasts a wide variety of programs, its most popular being the League Conferences in Sinnoh. It's been around for many generations, always enlightening their viewership. You'd best better believe whatever they say is always the truth.

"Battling it out on closing day are these four Trainers: Tobias, a seasoned Trainer who has managed to not break a sweat so far! His fearsome Darkrai is sweeping his opponents left and right! His opponent for the match? None other than Ash Ketchum! An up and coming Trainer who hails from the cozy Pallet Town in Kanto! His ace that's been with him from the start is Pikachu, a fast and powerful Electric Type," she continued on.

The females emerged from the kitchen with Rika wearing a confused expression on her face. "Who _is_ Tobias?" she asked as she sat herself on a couch beside her mother. The name caught her ear so many times that past week. From interviews to rumors, it seems this Tobias character was hot stuff nowadays. Her brother turned, astonished at such a question.

"You haven't heard of Tobias?" He asked that question after a moment of silence, furthering the surprised nature of his question. She shook her head slowly.

"I've heard his name thrown around so much recently. What's his deal?"

"Media says that Tobias is a Trainer that's well known around a region called Unova," her father explained. "He's this strong Trainer that reportedly traveled to Sinnoh to compete in this year's League. Tobias claims that he's been training for over a decade, and won a League in another region and the such. Apparently, Darkrai is the only known Pokémon he has. His name's been in buzz because of the League rules being changed a few years ago. The organization now allows for Mythicals being used, oddly enough. He's the only one to take advantage of that."

"Mythical?" Rika asked quickly. "Darkrai? How'd he catch it?" The girl continued shoot questions about the man, and Maverick couldn't blame her. It just seemed odd. The League rules allowing this to pass with no questions asked? He could only wonder why the sudden change.

"I wish I knew, honey," Jonathan stated as Rhonda finished talking about the other two finalists onscreen. Rika turned her attention back as the match Rhonda rambled on about was commencing. After a brief introduction by the play by play announcers, the third to last match began with a bang. Almost instantly, Tyranitar and Rhyperior were locked in a power struggle. They both had their hands in a stalemate, hoping to overpower the other through sheer force alone. The Rock Types growled and roared at each other through it all, which practically had Maverick and Alex on their toes.

"…And there they go again! Mark's Rhyperior slams into Tyranitar with a powerful Drill Run! How can Tyrone get out of this rut now with Rhyperior's constant barrage?!" the announcer excitedly asked, his voice coexisting with the crowds worried yelps.

"Get 'em back, Ty!" Tyrone desperately called from his side of the field. The other Trainer smirked.

"Rhyperior, let's keep up the pressure."

"They're strong!" Alex breathed out as they all watched the titans go at it. "No wonder Rhonda mentioned top four being expert level."

"From experience, Trainers that has been doing this," Jonathan motioned towards the television, "for years, get this far. First years and rookies barely make it past top sixteen, that spot is usually where they'd cap out. But if you end up making it past that round, you're hot stuff. Top eight and beyond is usually where 'the league begins', as the older generation puts it."

"Expect fame from that point on," Kimberly added. The older woman sat across her husband, and she stared at him as she remembered viewing earlier competitions that he took part in. She remembered him being a Trainer for two years and placing in the top eight, media swarmed him immediately following the match, praising him on how far he came. Of course, from being a top coordinator, she was no stranger to rising popularity with each competition she partook in. It's inevitable if you choose to pursue such professions. She often wondered what her kids wanted to do when they began traveling, she didn't have to worry about Maverick much, since he seemed to have an aspiring passion for battles. She also hasn't realized how lost in thought she was as she peered at Rika's calm, analytical face. Her eyes were wide and innocent, but had a small edge to it, as vague as it was. She wondered…

"And that's it!" blared the announcer's voice, jetting the older woman out of her stupor. Maverick stood up, smiling while Alex groaned in defeat. The results didn't go the way he wanted. "That wraps it up! Mark's Decidueye has fallen to Houndoom! This epic battle has come to a close, Tyrone is the winner! He proceeds onto the Finals! Let's give him a shout!" Onscreen, the camera panned all around the stadium and they saw the audience practically go wild. Maverick danced a little before holding a hand out to Alex.

"Ha! Pay up, Mark lost," he commanded with a cheeky grin. Kimberly had to smile at the sight. Alex sighed in defeat and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not giving _you_ nothing," he stated defiantly, looking at the napping Glameow. Rika closed her eyes and giggled softly. She stood up and put her hands to her hips, and peered at Alex amusingly.

"Oh no, I'll hold you to it. You still owe me lunch money!"

"No, I already paid you, quit bringing that up! That's the sixth time this year!"

"And the twelfth in three!" she shot back at him. They all laughed after a moment of tense silence. The clock chiming cut their laughter short, however. It was finally time.

"One forty-five. Looks like you'll have to leave soon," Kimberly reminded them all. "Go get ready, and then we'll head out, okay?" The three of them looked up and nodded. As they ascended the steps, Jonathan turned off the television, and Kimberly picked up the sleeping Glameow. They both met each other at the middle of the living room.

Kimberly opened her mouth, as if to say something but then closed it, opting to smile instead. Jonathan looked at her in her eyes and held her arms tenderly, his loving touch made her shiver. "I'd love to see Rowan again, it's been a while. All those years ago, me, you, Tyler, Matthew, Carla…I miss those days."

"I do too, Jon…now look at us, we're raising kids."

"They're adopted…right?"

Her eyes widened, flabbergasted the he would suggest such a thing. She balanced Glameow on one arm and swatted the other against his chest. "You idiot! They're my kids! How can you say such a thing?!" she hollered at her partner.

Jonathan had to tend to his chest a bit, rubbing with an eye closed. He had to look down at her red face, her eyebrows twisted into a scowl. He smiled nervously, and moved in closer, starting to stroke her hair. She squirmed and slapped his hand away, pouting. "Hun, calm down, it was only a joke?"

"No, don't touch me!"

"Babe…?"

"No!"

"Kim…?" He pleaded, moving closer to her. With a long sigh, she finally gave in.

"Ugh, what?" she responded, feverishly stroking the cat's fur. Their faces were inches apart now.

"Those kids up there are _our_ kids. We raised them the best we could, and it seems we did a mighty fine job at that. I wouldn't trade them for the world, and you know that. They'll be leaving tomorrow, and I don't know what I'll do without them being here," Jonathan spoke honestly, his tone losing playfulness with every word. He tried again and stoked her hair, this time she allowed it, losing her scowl. She replaced it with a soft look. She tried pushing these thoughts away, but reality stood before her.

"Me too. The time came for them to leave…we could still…There's still a chance to keep them for a little while longer."

Jonathan shook his head. "Come on now, you know they wouldn't want to stay in Twinleaf forever. They need to go out, experience the world. Make a name for themselves. They can't do that if we keep them. Believe me, I'd jump at the chance to have them here for life, but it's their turn. It's their time. Many of the kids are teenagers, they can make their own decisions, ours included."

"I…know, but- "

"Kim." Her tear stricken face looked up to see Jonathan's somber one looking back at her. "I know. But it's okay. They'll be fine, there's no need to worry. They'll have their Pokémon to protect them, and even then, they're strong. I know they can do it. I know you do...okay?" He leaned in slowly and kissed her. She instantaneously calmed down, and melted into their kiss. Jonathan knew she was worried sick, and deep down, he was too. The day was approaching faster than they could've ever imagined. In just a few short hours, they'll be on their way, stepping out on a grand adventure.

It's time for the next generation to take a step forward. To have their own experiences, to have stories to share, to have dreams to fulfill. But most importantly, it was time for them to have their _own_ _starting point._

"I love you, Jonathan…"

"I love you, too, Kimberly."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Alex coughed.

The couple jumped out of their moment at the sudden sound, frantically moving their hands and bodies before Jonathan settled on looking away and Kimberly scratched Glameow faster, both of their faces red. No matter what age, or generation, they still acted young and in love. Rika also looked on with a red face while Maverick looked off to the side, taking intense interest at the couch's design. Alex looked slightly uncomfortable with it all before announcing, "we're ready to go…"

The couple just nodded and wordlessly escorted them out into the open, strangely hot world of Sinnoh.

* * *

The bright sunlight made Maverick squint his eyes as their group of five walked out of the house and into the world outside. The fresh afternoon air filled their nostrils as they taken a long breath, easing the awkwardness and relaxing them back on track. Sinnoh was known one of the more colder regions, he remembered. The earth that Groudon and Regigigas made seemed to grace them this time of year, giving them an almost unnatural warmth instead of splintering chilliness, something that the teen has grown to love all too quickly. It was a nice change, and with change, comes great feedback.

"It's so warm out. Barely any clouds, too. Great day for a commemoration like this," Kimberly voiced as they walked forward onto the dirt paths lining the wide, expansive fields. From this view, one could almost see the town in its entirety. Further down towards Main Street was the Luncheon Café, an establishment that put the town on the map, famous for its Poffins and other Pokémon goodies.

Following up the path the group walked past, was a house with a battlefield behind it. Maverick remembered a rumor at school saying that's where a famous figure lives, but he was never sure as to who. Only thing he does know is that the battlefield shows the occasional sparkling gleam.

And finally, the legendary Route 201 Gateway, the stepping stone where most beginning Trainers walk upon, signifying the start of a journey. A large clearing at the top of a hill, overseeing the calm town. It was lined with flowers, being a given gift from the not so far off Floaroma Town. It made for a beautiful sight. Speaking of sights, people were gathered all along this clearing, ranging from young kids, to adults. Many of these people were here for an event called Starter Distribution Day, a ceremony celebrating young Trainers every two years. They trudged up the hill, coming to a stop at the top. A wooden stage was set up, with an old man in front of it.

This was none other than the renowned Professor Rowan.

"And there goes the man himself," Jonathan commented. "Rowan. Takes me back…You guys excited or what? Go on ahead, meet with the others while we hang back for a bit. I'm sure you have friends here. Sound good?" he suggested, throwing a thumb up in the process. They didn't have any problems with that. They departed from the parents and continued to make their way forward, meeting with the rest of the crowd at the event. Maverick saw a plethora of faces as he walked, some new faces and some old ones he met in school. It made him realize just the vast amount of Trainer that are usually out and about. They were all chattering in excitement, large grins and smiles adorning their faces as they waited for the event to start. Coming to a stop in the middle of the group, he then felt a tap on his shoulder. Maverick and Alex turned while Rika continued to walk forward more. Smiling back at them was their brown-haired school friend.

He adjusted his out of place glasses and blinked a couple of times. Maverick's eyes lit up upon recognition, and he grew the widest smile since the day began.

"My goodness! Nelson, is that actually you?" he asked in surprise. He clenched his fists and began bouncing in place in pure happiness. Alex smirked and walked forward, throwing an arm around the boy and grinding his fist into his brown hair playfully.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise! How're ya doing, man?"

Nelson continuously tapped Alex on the arm, pleading for him to stop. "Haha, ow! I'm doing fine! Q-quit it, ha!" Alex reluctantly let go of his body and stepped back, getting a good look at their longtime friend. He was dressed in a sleeveless brown vest, gold colored shirt, and brown shoes. His blue colored glasses matched along with his blue jeans. He adjusted his glasses, recovering from Alex's rather rough greeting. Still, he smiled, happy to see them once again. "It has been a while, yeah. Glad to see you guys."

"It's been years since we last saw you, how is Veilstone?" Maverick questioned, grabbing his hand and giving it a quick shake. The boy sighed and ran a hand through his trimmed hair, it was a sigh of relief.

"It's been better than I thought it would be. It was hard at first, talking to everyone, but I made it just fine in the end." Nelson chuckled out nervously. "How was school?"

"Boring without you there," Alex responded flippantly. "Tough, but I enjoyed it. Thank Arceus Trainer's School was slow paced."

"I didn't really mind the absence, but I did miss you. School was great for me! Ah…who brought you here?" Maverick inquired, looking around for his grandmother.

Nelson's smile became more genuine when he answered. "My father did. If I know him, he should be talking to our parents right about now!" Sure enough, Maverick turned his gaze towards his parents and saw them talking to a well-dressed man. Laughter came from their direction, they seem to be having a good time. Alex held up a small smile at the sight of it before turning and looking towards the wooden platform. "Well," Nelson continued. "Our promise we made long ago seems to be fulfilled. Look at where we are now. We're actually getting Starter Pokémon together…H-hey, Professor Rowan!" The boy said, pointing towards the stage.

The crowd around them suddenly hushed a little, getting their attention back towards the platform. Everyone sent hushed comments at the sight of the burly man waiting for attention on stage. Tables were being set up by his aids, and briefcases were being opened. The various teens and children were regarding the spectacle in awe, a few excited whispers being split among them. The old man looked back towards his previous generation and nodded, thanking them for their children. The parents nodded back, giving him a few challenging smirks, reminding him of the fire he once saw in them when they were younger.

With this in mind, he cleared his throat, getting the attention of everyone around him.

"Welcome, all of you. Old faces of the past, and new trainers of the future, my name is Rowan, but I'm sure everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor. Specifically, the Professor of Evolution. It's nice to see you all again. Hope you've had a great summer." He introduced as he paced back and forth. The young ones clapped in response.

"I'd love to welcome you all to the newest cycle of the traditional Starter Distribution. All of you have earned your way here. Be it school, tests, recommendations, or coming of age. Perhaps all four? I commend you for your efforts. Pokémon live among us in harmony, coexisting with humans, living with us. They've been with us for many years- perhaps even older than myself!" The Professor joked, earning a hearty laugh throughout. He wasn't known for joking, but because he did, it lightened the atmosphere even more, reminding them that these times were calm.

"I've lived 60 long years, I remember giving out Pokémon to those reckless bunch back there." The parents dismissed his jab with the roll of eyes and scoffs, acting much like the Trainers they were. "Haha. Now it's your turn." He turned and nodded to one assistant. She picked up the briefcase and sat it on the table, preparing it while Rowan walked over.

"This here," he said while picking up a spherical object, "is what you call a Pokéball. This is a device that encapsulates the creatures we call Pokémon. When you press this button in the center here, it enlarges the ball, like this," he then demonstrated by pressing the device on the center. As said, it grew twice the original size. "This allows for a Pokémon to depart safely, starting with the first on the Pokédex, the Grass Type Starter, Turtwig!"

Holding the ball up, it opened in half, allowing for a silvery blue ray of energy to shoot out and take form. The ray of light touch down on the table and the viewers watched with glee. Eventually, out came the green turtle-like animal. It was fairly small, and had a Tiny Leaf growing atop its head. It cooed out happily, with a shake of its small head.

"Twig! Turtwig tirt!"

Below, the younger people let out small gasps at seeing the Starter up close. It was surprising to them, and himself, Maverick noted. Seeing the Turtwig up close, he saw that it actually looked pretty small, but big enough to stand its own ground. Everyone voiced their opinions in heaps of shouts and gasps, as if they've never seen Pokémon before.

"Next," the Professor began, picking of another read and white ball. "Is this little one here. Its name is Chimchar! A Fire Type!" This time, he tossed the ball upward and it opened up with its signature _pop!_ The ray of light that shot out of the ball danced around the crowd before landing next to Turtwig, taking shape of a monkey with a fiery…butt? Despite the oddity of that, Chimchar danced around happily, almost scaring Turtwig of how close that flame was to him.

Rowan then picked up the third ball. "This last one is popular with females. This is Piplup, the Water Type Starter!" He gave it a light toss and the ball snapped open, landing at the edge of the table next to Chimchar. It looked like a blue penguin with a cute yellow beak. "Pip!" it squeaked. Almost instantly, the girl squealed that the sight of the small creature.

Rowan smiled, and held out his hands, presenting them to the group below. "These are the three that you'll choose from today. As you can see, Pokémon come in many shapes, and sizes, plus, they each have their own personalities too! Choose the Pokémon that you best see fit! Starting with these three on the table, I'd like to call up…Alex, Samantha, and Nelson!"

The group of three that were called froze, and a tingling sensation shot up their spine. Alex and Nelson turned to each other and motioned towards the stage, nodding. "I didn't think we'd be the first ones up so soon! Nelson, come on!"

"R-right!" he stuttered, following after Alex on their way up. Maverick watched them go with growing glee. As his eyes followed their body, they eventually landed on the three Pokémon at the table, reminding him of his previous mishap. Now that he can see them a little clearer, Maverick had to once again think about who to choose. He imagined himself with all three of them, commanding Piplup for a Bubble Beam, or calling for Chimchar to heat things up with Flame Wheel, perhaps to get energy back with Turtwig and Absorb…

The more Maverick thought about this, he ended up thinking about his entire team. Who to choose? Who to catch? He ended up getting so lost in thought he didn't even see Alex make a decision.

Alex and Nelson inched their way up the steps, conversing about all the possible options. Alex tapped himself on the chest and smirked as they walked across the platform with the girl behind them. "I already know who I'm choosing, have you decided?"

Nelson nodded, scratching the back of his head. "I have, too."

They came to a stop in front of Rowan, who nodded at their arrival. "Nice seeing you three again. It's been a while, yes? Well, let's get onto it." He guided them towards the Starters and motioned to them. "Who will you choose?"

The three of them walked towards the table where they sat, and the Pokémon looked at them expectantly. Alex grinned and walked forward, happy to start things off. "I've thought about this for a while, now I'm happy to reveal my answer!" He looked in front of him, and the blue penguin met his eyes. Alex held a hand out and smiled. "Piplup, my name is Alex, and I'd like to be your Trainer. My friends and I are about to go on a journey tomorrow, and I thought that I'd choose a Pokémon that I know is super awesome. Plus, I've always liked Water Types. What do you say?" The boy in the blue shirt asked. Piplup's eyes lit up and it gleefully jumped in the boy's arms without an ounce of hesitation. It chippered out in response.

"Professor, Piplup's mine!"

"Pip-pip, lup!" They both pumped out a fist and grinned with each other. Rowan nodded happily and walked forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Great choice! Piplup is a great Starter! I'm sure you and her will make a great pair. Let me show you something." He took out a rectangular device from his pocket and held it up to the crowd. "This here, is what you call a Pokédex. It can record data of all types of Pokémon found in the Sinnoh Region. From the exploits of the previous generations, it is now loaded with the data of many of the Pokémon you see today, just open up the scanner to bring up the basic information of the Pokémon you desire. Should you capture that Pokémon and scan its Pokéball, it'll bring up detailed information of that one Pokémon. That's not all though," he stated as he then received a card from one of his assistants.

"This here is your Trainer Card. It shows your Trainer Class, as this is proof of who you say you are. This is essentially your ID. It records the number of Badges or Contest Ribbons and the such that you've earned throughout your career. To back this data up, insert this card into the left slot on the Pokédex. There's many more things that these devices allow you to do, but I'll leave that up to you to investigate. Remember to visit the Pokémon Centers often to receive updates to these devices. Any questions?"

Still trying to process this information, the group let out a no.

Ultimately, Alex seemed fine with this info. He and Piplup thanked the Professor and walked off towards the assistances side, where he received a blue Pokéball (Maverick inferred this was Piplup's) and five other red ones. He also chose a blue Pokédex from the wide many. Nelson happily picked up Turtwig while Samantha chose Chimchar. Happy with their decisions, they all received their items and walked off back into the crowd, swarmed by the many there. Maverick remained oblivious, however, very lost in his own thoughts until his sister grabbed him and pulled him towards the stage. This surprised him. "W-wha? Where did you come from?"

"We were waiting for you to respond, you idiot. Come on! We're waiting for you." She continued to drag him until they eventually reached the table where a new batch of Starters waited. Now that he was up close and personal, he looked at them with unsure eyes. They looked back with pleading ones.

"The last of the Starters I have for today. Coincidentally, you three are my last Trainers to get one! These guys have been with me for months, giving me tons of strife. Still, I find that they'll behave in your care. That said, Maverick, Rika, Steve, your Starters await." Rowan finished, opening his hands towards the final Pokémon.

"Chim! Chimchar!"

"Lup, pip-lip!"

"Twig! Turtwig turt?"

This is it.

Time to decide, once and for all.

Rika didn't even need to think about this one. She took a step forward, and looked directly at her partner. She cocked her head and smiled at it, her bangs falling over her face. Maverick looked at her momentarily, and nodded. "Aren't you a cute one?" she asked softly.

"…C-chim?"

It blushed and took a few steps back, looking embarrassed at such a question. "Well, yeah! I think you're adorable!"

"Cha-! C-chim char chim chimchar!" It took a step forward and held up a fist in retort, the blush on its face growing all the while. Rika giggled and knelt down, looking at it square in the eye.

"Your butt on fire is the oddest thing I've ever seen, it looks cool!" That was more like it, Chimchar gave her a confident smirk, but the blush at her odd remarks was still present. Still, he accepted the 'complement' with an audible "Char!"

"Would you like to come with me? My brother here and my weird guy friend are going on a journey through Sinnoh first thing tomorrow. I'm not exactly sure how we'll end up, but I felt that with you by my side we can get through anything together. What do you say?" Rika asked the Fire Type with a smile.

Chimchar looked at Rika in wonder. He was sure this wouldn't be so bad, and she seems really nice too. He then raised his small hand and clenched his fist, glad to take her offer. "Char! Chimchar." He was sure it wouldn't be so bad. He could adapt. Rika picked up small fire type.

"My name is Rika Anderson. I'll be sure that I'll take good care of you, and you'll be safe with me. Can I be your trainer?" The Fire Type nodded, smiling.

"Great! Professor Rowan, I'll be choosing Chimchar."

He gave a large grin and nodded at her choice. "You'll love this one a lot. He has this great pride of appearance, ha-ha. Go over there to receive his Pokéball and your Pokédex. I hope you'll enjoy each other's company."

"I know we will! Chimchar, let's go!" Rika opened her arms and he jumped into them, giving her a hug. She feared she would get burned, but when she wrapped her arms around him, the fire felt like nothing. Just…air.

"Huh…" She grew confused, and walked off with him.

With her receiving her items, and Steve choosing a fairly quiet Piplup, that left a very lost Maverick with a very quiet Turtwig. They both looked at each other, and Maverick gave Turtwig a nervous smile.

"So…"

"Twig?!"

"Huh?!"

"T-turtwig, tirt!"

"Ah…uh…"

To say Maverick was very confused would be the understatement of the year. Turtwig was practically bawling its eyes out, as if begging to be chosen. He inched an eyebrow upward and gave Rowan a confused glance. "Professor? What's up with it?"

Rowan watched on, a grim look on his face. He crossed his arms and walked forward, looking at this Pokémon with sad eyes. "Turtwig here…was abandoned by his older Trainer, from two years ago. When I received mail that he was found in the alleyways of Jubilife City, I immediately rushed over there and picked him up. I recognized that he was one of mine. This Turtwig here has been a victim of being called weak, numerous times. When I was raising it, it appeared fragile, smaller than most of its kind. Nobody wanted him since then. I know who the Trainer is, I just don't know where, though. Haven't heard from him since."

At this bit of information, Maverick concluded something. He also hated being called weak, worthless, good for nothing…

'… _Not for appearance or power, but the one you feel you'll have a connection with. Pokémon are tough creatures, make the wrong decision, and it'll cost you.'_

Maverick's eyes lit up upon realization. _'Of course, that's what Mom meant. Seeing how he was treated like that, and how I…'_

Maverick took a breath and looked down at the small Pokémon. He knelt to get eye level with it.

"So, people are saying you aren't strong, huh? Well..."

The Pokémon looked at him this time, meeting his gaze. "Those guys are wrong!" Maverick stated boldly. The crowd behind him silently listened to the conversation as well, intrigued by Maverick's tone. Turtwig's eyes widened.

What?

"Those guys are completely wrong. I can see it in you. You _are_ strong. I know you are. Turtwig, I…I want to be your Trainer."

That's it.

He decided right then and there.

He reminded himself about that dream he had a night ago. The girl, how her Pokémon got stolen and how gravely injured she was. It made him sick to his stomach, and he never wants to see that on anyone. "I will try my absolute hardest to prove them wrong! I want to be strong as well. I want to protect my loved ones, and protect you, my Pokémon." That's when Maverick felt something in his heart. He stammered a bit before continuing.

"S-seeing you so alone and rejected just makes me angry. I was like that, too… Come with me. I'll make you strong. We'll take on Leagues, fight Gyms, become Champions, even. It won't be easy, but I know we can do it." He stretched out his hands in front of Turtwig who had a surprised look on his face.

"Someone has inspired me to take on the Pokémon League Challenge. And we can do it together! Seeing the world, catching other Pokémon. It's possible, but, I can't do it alone. I need you by my side. We'll learn, have fun, face hardships and overcome challenges together. So, what do you say? Ready to start here, right now?" Maverick asked seriously. He was sure that what he just said to the little Turtwig was the honest truth. Everyone was taken aback by Maverick's behavior, even his parents. The Professor quickly snapped out of it and began beaming. This one was going to be great to see, he thought.

But out of everyone, Turtwig was affected the most. A single tear fell down his green cheek. Nobody has ever been that willing towards him. Everyone called him weak, feeble, easy-to-use, breakable, but then comes this guy who he doesn't even know and practically devotes his heart out to him. He then felt a tingling, warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart. More tears streamed out his cheek before he leapt from the table and landed in Maverick's chest. He began sobbing on his shoulder.

No more was he alone.

No more was he going to be abandoned.

No more was he going to be called weak.

From this day forward, he knew that he started over…

He finally found his own starting point.

…And he finally found his Trainer. At last.

Maverick tucked his arms around Turtwig and pulled back to look at his face. He was smiling.

"Professor Rowan, I choose Turtwig!"

Rowan took a minute to compose himself, he himself wiping his eyes. "Ahem... I see! Good job in lifting his spirits Maverick. I can see that you've already created a bond with Turtwig that will grow into something grand. I pray that you both go out and fulfill your promises. I wish you safe travels down your path."

"I know we will! Right, buddy? Me and you, together?"

The Grass Type stopped sobbing and climbed on top of Maverick's shoulder. He then looked at Maverick's face and gave him the biggest smile he ever gave in his life. "Turtwig!"

Maverick laughed and pumped a fist. "Haha! Right on!"

"Great! Here are your Pokéballs, and your Pokédex." He reached out and took a black Pokédex off the table, along with a green Pokéball from his pocket. He also grabbed Maverick's Trainer Card, the last one there.

"…And your Trainer card. After you've won a gym badge, you can go to a Pokémon Center to get it updated. I'll be rooting for you way over here, Maverick. I expect you'll be participating in the next Lilly of the Valley Conference?" he asked as he handed the devices to Maverick.

He nodded, with Turtwig quickly following his action. "Yeah, my current goal is to make it to the Sinnoh League."

"Well, best of luck to you!"

"Thank you for everything, Professor!" They both shook hands, and Maverick walked off the stage. His parents greeted him on the way down, accolading him on his selection. Maverick, Rika, Alex and Nelson met up, and the two Turtwig instantly began talking, along with the rest of the Starters. Rowan began talking when his crew made to pack up.

"Thank you all for coming today for our successful Starter Distribution. It means a lot to all of your Pokémon, your parents and myself included. Please, take care of all your Pokémon. Many of them are still young, teach them a thing about the world, and learn something about yourself too, while you are at it. Tomorrow is a new day, many of you will be going on an adventure at the crack of dawn. Please be careful and be safe. If you need further assistance, be sure to check your Pokédex for a useful app. Once again, thank you for coming out today. Have a great rest of your day, everyone!" With that said, Professor Rowan bowed and turned to finish packing up. Everyone was ecstatic that they have received Pokémon, most of all being Maverick Anderson and his Turtwig.

This is a story all about how Maverick, Rika and their friends journeyed through the Sinnoh Region. How they learned something about themselves along the way, the people they've met, the memories they shared. How they overcame trials and tribulations, and had the tenacity to face forward through it all.

This is their starting point.

This is their story.

This is _Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure_.

As Maverick looked at Turtwig, and Turtwig looked back at him, they shared one unspoken promise. They were going to be strong for everyone, and that is a promise they'll keep forever.

.

.

.

* * *

A lone figure flew over the darkened waters of north-western Sinnoh, obscured from the moonlight. As they sped over the rippling waves, a call came through.

"…What?" the figure answered, their hair flying back from the speed they were going at.

"Don't 'what' me. You know who you're working for," the person calling snapped back. The figure had to roll their eyes at their tone. Still, they faced forward, and the large Pokémon underneath them growled in response. "How close are you towards your destination?"

"Fairly close, sir. Give or take a couple minutes," the figure grumbled.

"Good, good…everything has been set in motion. Don't mess this up. We've only one shot at this. In the event you fail..."

"Tch, you know I won't," they replied. "You know who you're talking to."

"Right. The same one that had to be retrieved a couple of months ago from their fall. Yes, I do know who I'm talking to," the caller replied sarcastically. The flyer grew a deep scowl and faced forward, looking at the approaching island.

"The destination is in sight, sir. I'll be taking cover momentarily," they leaned down and tapped on the Pokémon, indicating to slow down.

"Great. Again, don't mess this up. Everything has been perfectly crafted and the timing has been set. You have exactly one hour to get things done. Understand?" the caller barked. The figure sighed and rolled their eyes.

"Affirmative."

"Haha…Yes. Yes! The day has finally come," the caller cackled, eliciting a sigh from the flyer. "It's time to come out of the shadows and make a mark once again. Our revival, our new starting point...it all begins now."

.

.

.

 _ **To be continued**_ **.**

* * *

 **Ahhhhhhh, man! That was a doozy to write. I am never writing this long EVER again. Really.**

 **Whatever, thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for reading this chapter. This one really gave me trouble, even through the rewrite! This chapter was originally five thousand words long! Then it became nine thousand! I honestly wasn't expecting this chapter to be this long! Ah well, major pat on the back for me.** **Anyway, tons of hints to future stuff this chapter. Did you get all of that? Maverick and co. finally received their starters after long last. Yes, Turtwig was abandoned, but by who...?**

 **Major thanks to** _ **Ryu Taylor the Ferret**_ **for reviewing and** _ **AdvancedAlto**_ **for following last chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Please review and tell me how I did on this one! All feedback is appreciated. Lastly, follow me on Twitter, and DeviantArt soon! Next chapter, well, it's the last of the exposition arc, and it's a big one!**

 **Be sure to Live long and Shine on, until next time.  
** **~XDiamondX90**


	5. A Revival

**Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

 **Chapter 5: A Revival**

* * *

Ever so silently, the wind blew across the rippling waters that evening. It was a tranquil night, the wild Pokémon found at the rocky, mountainous island were minding their own business, tending to their own devices peacefully. The night sky was barely obscured by clouds, causing the moon to provide its reassuring lights across the waves.

It all seemed so peaceful…

This was a sight that was presented to a man, who was rubbing his chin all the while. The fluctuating glow of a screen snapped him out of his thoughts, however, reminding himself of where he was. No, he wasn't outside, like he wanted to be. He was inside a room. His face remained unchanged, though, as he still stroked his chin.

What he was really doing was staring at the view cameras provided him stationed across Iron Island. More specifically, Iron Island Prison. This gritty, somewhat barren, wasteland of an island was the home to many Steel Type Pokémon. Thankfully, they seemed to get an unspoken memo and stayed out of his hair, much to his surprise (and relief). Either way, he remained upright and focused, keeping a steely gaze at the camera front and center in the dark room.

"…Looks like things have calmed down since then," he muttered, brows narrowing slightly at the thought. Beside him, another man sat, typing away on his computer at a moderate pace. His glasses shined in the limelight, obscuring his eyes from those who would look at him from the face. His typing slowed considerably.

"Y-yes, Agent. It appears that things have settled since they've been taken care of. No other recent activity has been reported in or around the region at the moment," he stuttered out, moving to look a little closer at the screen in front of him, squinting.

The agent also squinted while his lips shrunk, this time out of confusion. "It's odd, though," he voiced.

"…Sir?" the man beside him asked after a moment of silence. He continued clacking away at the keys.

The man in question sighed. "It's been…some long months since the leader's whereabouts remained unknown. He hasn't turned up in any other region, and hasn't did anything here in Sinnoh, and yet…it all seems as if they'd all just disappeared entirely. Except, shortly after…Charon turned up, but got away. His whereabouts are also unknown," his voiced changed tone quickly, sounding rather annoyed with the fact.

The man seated at the computer slowed down a little more at his coworker's thoughts. "If I may, our units are deployed internationally, sir. Should something come up, we would have known firsthand and contacted the other federal forces. Besides what's going on with Team Rocket in Johto, I'm sure there should be nothing to worry about..." he suggested, straightening up his tie. The agent took this into consideration, still stroking his chin as the camera glowed bright up ahead.

"…Although," the other man continued, eyes never leaving the bright screen. "It reminds me. Apparently today was when the new kids got their Pokémon, am I mistaken?"

A brow raised in questioning, not knowing where he was going with this. The man coughed once and shrugged at his thought. "Not wrong, Agent, sir."

He paused. "…As I've thought. It surprises me with all these underground nuances, the League still continues its festivities…"

He exhaled, continuing. "The new kids are to be leaving tomorrow, most of them, anyway. They'll need eyes on them, and on the road. It'd be terrible if something happened to them without our knowing. Three of our workers has got a kid leaving, you know." This time, he finally looked away and shot him a quick glance. The man beside him stopped typing entirely and just peered at his small screen with heightened interest.

"Uh, a-as I've said, Agent. We've got units deployed all over. With all this quietness, yes, it is natural to feel some sort of trepidation- but I assure you, they'll be fine, and even then, they have their Pokémon," he mumbled, slightly distracted, a little too quickly for the other man's own good. Still, the agent didn't let his coworker's passiveness to get to him. He shrugged and began to pace around their little room. Various workers were seated at computers and the sort, much like the typing man before them. Their faces were firm, emulating the agent's face as he walked by down the steps.

As he walked, he remained vigilant, staring towards the big screen as he made his rounds. The smaller screens to the side reminded him that the prison he was in was a fairly large one, secluded deep into the confines of Iron Island. Many corridors and passageways littered the lot, all of which had a few guards manning them. Most times, the inmates were often quiet, as many as there were. It kept the guards and himself on edge constantly, bringing back the puzzled thoughts plaguing him.

Yes, many of _them_ were gone, off the radar, as they called it, and he _hated_ it. As successful as his mission was many months ago, it still bit him when he knew that there were crime syndicates still out there, especially the ones he's been after. He came to a stop in the front of the room, arms never leaving his chin, looking at the monitor above with lacking interest. It's been a long day…

He sighed, closed his eyes, and suddenly shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown trench coat. "Hmph… Alright, men. Time to wrap up for toda-!"

"Sir!" his co-worker quickly barked, "the screen! The screen!"

Not having much time to think, he raised an eye brow in confusion and looked at the screen with sharpened interest. A flash of black swept by. "Huh…? What is that?"

"Uh, sir, that looks to be a Poké…mon?" he replied slowly, as if asking a question. The agent peered at the screen with narrowed eyes at the fleeting object. It was moving rather swiftly through the fields of the island. The other workers instantly perked up and began typing at a rapid pace. "Wait, no…that's no Pokémon. Pokémon here don't move that fast…"

The agent furrowed his brow and began to move towards another screen when the object went out of range. His hands fidgeted, snapping with speed. "Gah…we need eyes, people! Can someone tell me what that is?!"

"Agent, sir!" a female worker replied, "they sped by my camera just now, it looked to be humanoid, but too far to tell properly."

"She's right, mine too!"

"And mine!"

"Same here…!"

They all began talking over one another, informing the agent of the object's passing. He quickly grew agitated, and stayed rooted to his spot, staring back at the big screen intensely. _'What the hell is going on…?'_

"…and you're all simultaneously experiencing this?" he asked quickly after a moment of silence. They all simply nodded, furthering the agent's trepidation. He breathed heavily as his thoughts began to swirl.

"…Looker," the co-worker spoke, dropping all formalities in that moment. He shot him a glare, with his eyes sending a sharp message. "…Do you want me to sound the alarm?"

Heavy and still silence hung in the air, and various eyes flicked back and forth, seeing the figure come and go. It was like a whirlwind, their thoughts running on adrenaline in that moment. Sweat rolled down his forehead, and he clenched his fist in frustrated confusion. It only took a moment, but when the big screen front and center suddenly lost connection and went to the static channel, that's when he made his decision.

It had been a couple of months since the last report.

With narrowed eyes, and a clenched fist, he nodded sharply.

"Do it."

* * *

Darkness blanketed the cell, except for the moonlight shining through a very small slit in the wall. It casted a ray of light towards a metal object, small and heavy, but relatively shiny, in the hands of a young man. He held it between two fingers, appreciating its pearl like luster. He played with it a bit, moving it around in the light, carrying a melancholic smirk on his face.

"Up to this day, I still can't fathom how I surprise myself..."

He lounged on his bed, something he'd like to call a bed, anyway. It was more or less an erect slab on the wall, cool to the touch. He didn't mind, though, having grown used to its hard surface over the last few months.

"It was almost too easy of a catch," he sighed a bit. He then flicked the metal piece in the air, before catching it. He opened his hand, and the piece shined back at him. The weight of the metal felt satisfying to him, noticed. He tightened his fist and looked up. The dark ceiling looked back at him.

He frowned.

It had only been a few months since he wound up here, in this hell hole of a place. He didn't like it one bit, having to sit in darkness almost the whole day. He's grown used to the harsh treatments, interrogations and mean stares of his captors as the days rolled past. Day in, and day out, it was just him, this cell, and a small light that tried its hardest to be a reminder of his surroundings. His mind began to wander in that moment.

There was a time before this, however, where he was free. Where he aided in the efforts of creating something new. It was something he thought they'd _all_ share together, not bounded by dark walls, but the free, limitless expanse of space.

All of this and more on the outside world, something that his boss was conflicted with. A sickening feeling crawled up his body, making him grimace at the mere thought of it.

To think after all his efforts, his time dedicated to this project…he was just being used? Did _he_ really have no use for him? For _them_?For _anyone_? Why go through all the effort, wasting time? A part of him boiled with rage, as he finally understood that whatever they did was meaningless in the end. His hands shook, griping the item in his hands tighter. He didn't deserve any of this, he thought. To think that he must suffer and serve jail time because of a man with a selfish desire with no regards for his peers? To hell with it all!

"…Gah, just _thinking_ about it makes me want to rip something to shreds! Was what he wanted right, I wonder? Humane, even? Just imagine waking up devoid of any and all feeling entirely. How can that be possible? How can someone live for that? And to think, that I wanted part of it once upon a time..."

He could only sigh with that realization while he stared at the dark ceiling. His eyes adjusted while he was lost in his thoughts, allowing him to see the faint marks he made. The scratched surface contained tick marks, all of them added up to this exact date. The metal piece in his hands made him question himself in the short time that remained.

What's in it for him? What if he'll get caught again? A second offense it always worse than the one preceding it, right? His thoughts stopped as the thin streak of light from the moon grew brighter, illuminating his tense, clenched hand. It was making its way up.

He didn't have to do this.

"I don't know what you're planning, grandpa, but as long as it means that I get out of here safely…" he sighed distastefully, tucking away the item in his hands. "I'm only doing this for me, and no one else."

A blaring sound broke him out of his musings, himself jumping in place at the sudden interruption. He blinked rapidly and sat up straight, feeling the heavy item in his pocket make itself known once again. He scrambled down to the floor and walked up to the thin window in the cell. A piercing cry ripped away the sound of the quiet waves. He saw a shadow cross over the moon, the light disappearing for all but a second, but for himself, it felt like the world itself came to a stop. The comforting light was gone, his cell was dark once again, his once illuminated hand, now darkened, only went back to his pocket and gripped the metal key. He gripped it tight in the darkness, finding solace with its cool material. With all caution out the window, his melancholic gaze hardened into one devoid of any reason. The moon once again made itself apparent, but he no longer regarded its light as guidance.

He was going to get out of here.

The alarm continued blaring, and he swiftly turned on the tips of his feet and crossed over to the metal door, back against it. His breathing quickened.

"Attention all units! We are under a lockdown," a female voice informed through the speakers he barely heard on the outside. "Patrol on the outer court, secure any and all exits, there is an intruder along the premises. All guards on sector five, move up and out. This is not a drill."

The blue haired man leaned back some more, with a small smirk growing on his face. "Sector five, huh? Are they trying to make my job easy?" he questioned aloud. Sounds of hurried footsteps and the jingling of keys emitted from behind the door. The smirk on his face only grew larger, while his eyes only grew sharper. He disregarded his previous feeling the moment when he felt adrenaline course through his body.

The commotion outside slowed to a crawl, as his chest rose and fell. He blinked once and stepped back, now turning to regard the metal door. It was a large door. A single knob from the outside. Two hinges. A thin horizontal slit for food.

Food…

He took one step, crouched, and looked through the slit to see a wall staring back at him. There was only one guard present, back against it, his cap covering his eyes. "Huh. What's this? A lone guard remaining…looking to be _sleeping_ at a time like this," he mumbled. He stepped back once again and looked over the door a second time. If he remembered correctly, it was said that the door carried some sort of…

 _Bzzzt!_

The door coursed with electricity for all but a second, before a soft _click_ was emitted. He could only give a surprised look at the occurrence.

"Huh. I was right. She moves mighty fast…and now it's my turn," he readied his hands and gripped the thin slit on the door. He cringed momentarily as electricity coursed through him, but he disregarded that with a shake of his head and lifted the heavy door. He walked back, pulling the door towards him as a dim light poured through the crack, not even brightening up that small room at all. He groaned quietly when he let go. "They said breaking out comes at a cost. Whatever, I'm not dead. It's good she remembered to soften the blow."

He opened and closed his hand rapidly, shaking off the feeling of numbness. The man went back to back against the wall directly right of the door as his blue bangs covered his eyes, looking through the thin opening. It was only just the guard, the wall behind him, leading to a hallway, and the new (although dimmed) light source on top. No cameras present. Perfect.

He inched out of the room, squatted, and regarded the lookout directly in the eye. The guard's eyes were closed, tight, virtually unaware of the presence on the outside. He looked further down, studying him. He wore a navy uniform, a black belt that held all sort of items, and a radio. That was all he needed. The man's eyes narrowed as he threw a hand up, pressing up against the guard's throat. The guard barely opened his eyes, and that was his que to press down even harder, he began to choke him.

The guard's eyes flew open, as he gasped and struggled for breath. His eyes flitted around the corridor, before finally meeting his aggressor. "Wha-?! What're y-you…!"

"Turn it off," he demanded with a growl. The hallway light flickered.

"Wha…huh? How are you-, what are yo-!"

"Turn it _off_. Don't make me repeat myself. You know what I'm talking about," the blue haired man stared at him with snarl and pressed harder. The guard yelped quietly while his hands shakily went towards his radio. The blue haired man's eyes never left the guard's. "Send a distress signal, and, by Arceus above, _you're dead_."

"T-tch..." the guard had no other choice. The alarm continued blaring while he turned the knob of the device away from him. It was off. The blue haired man only sneered and pressed even harder, nearly cutting the other man's air supply. He gasped and struggled even more in response. Adrenaline rushed through his veins that very moment, the rise of power getting to his head.

"Give it to me. Now."

"Sa-Satu- "

"NOW!" he shouted, punching the man in the stomach. The alarm covered his voice while the guard's saliva came out of his mouth in heaps. "Don't even _think_ about resisting!"

"Argh…damn it," the guard groaned. He complied reluctantly and weakly handed him the radio. The blue haired man removed his hand from the guard's stomach and swiped the radio, inspecting it. It was indeed, off. He looked back up and pocketed the device before regarding the man once again. "How are…you even out?"

"Aren't you even listening? How can you sleep through this mess? I'm surprised you even have a job with your crappy work ethic," he jeered. He used his vacant hand and closed it around his mouth, while his other hand went above his hand. The guard breathed heavily through his nose, his chest rapidly rising and falling to restore oxygen in his lungs. But his eyes held a different story. The guard's eyes were wide with fear, knowing what'll come next. They pleaded to the young man to stop. "I won't allow myself to be a pawn once again. I won't conform to someone's will and be blindsided!"

"No, don't! I got a wife…and my kid is gonna-!" he spoke, muffled by the man's hand.

"No more..." he told himself. Power raged through his fingertips as he imagined his boss in that same position. "If he wasn't gone, I'd wipe that man off the face of the earth myself. This'll only take a second," he spoke quietly through the ringing sound. He looked back up and gave the man a hard gaze, but his eyes softened just a bit. "Thanks for the food, but I need to get out of this place. I can't advance further unless I play dress up," he tightened his grip and looked to the left. There was nobody approaching, all the other guards long gone, trying to see what the commotion was about on the outside. He looked back at the man and nodded once out of respect.

Before snapping his neck.

The light flickered more, flashing the area all around them. Without any further form of resistance, life left the man as he fell to the floor. The blue haired man caught him on his descent, while his head flopped to the side, turned in such a way it almost made him cringe. He shook his head once, and began to backpedal, dragging the lifeless guard into the room he was once in. He fell to a stop in the middle of the cold floor. "It's now or never…" he muttered to himself, crouching and unbuttoning his jumpsuit…

He stood back up, now garbed in the navy clothes of his watcher, and stared at the man who kept him company the past few months. His lips were turned into a frown, contemplating the situation. His mind began to wander, but he shook his head, ridding himself of such can't manage to get distracted in that moment.

He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to leave the man on the floor. "I need to get _out_ of here…but that's not without gaining baggage," he sighed carefully, "she was located in the upper part of the facility. That's where I'll go first..."

Metal key tucked within his vest, and now with a radio in his possession, the blue haired man walked forward, picked up the door once again, and closed it shut behind him, finally away from the chamber. The hallway was quiet, himself by his lonesome, left with a rapidly flickering light for guidance. He considered his hands for a moment, stained from the life he just took.

" _Yeah…my kid is going to journey in just a few weeks. I want to be there to see him off the next morning along with my wife. I hope I live long enough to see what he does on his travels..."_ he remembered the guard's words.

"…With no regards for his peers, huh? How does this make me any better than _him_? These hands were ordered around by him, _used_ by him, but these hands are doing a selfish act." The door in front of him seemingly scowled at him, with himself looking back at it with no emotion. "I could've walked away from this life. Away from _him_ , but here, now…all I did was emulate his actions." He breathed heavily and steeled his gaze down the hall. The alarm was white noise to him now. He pulled his cap downward and covered his eyes with its bill. He gave a dry chuckle.

"Tch, pathetic. Doing this for your own desire to leave this place, huh? Just how low can you get, Saturn of Neo Galactic?"

The light above him surged with electricity, before shutting off entirely, concealing him in darkness. He took a step, and walked forward, towards an even dimmer light, but he never looked back once.

* * *

 _Bzzzt…!_

 _Click!_

"Hmph. That shouldn't kill him," a female said, standing back from an electric grid panel on the left side of the prison. Her large Pokémon silently watched her as she put her tools away, the only thing that wasn't silent was the annoying alarm going off in the distance. The Pokémon rolled their eyes, instead finding solace in the ground. It took its large foot and began drawing on it, making a flower, though it looked more like a blob than something a Smeargle would make. Her Trainer (or was it caretaker?) just watched it doodle along. "I…didn't know you were an artist, Salamence." Salamence huffed in response, kicking away its creation. She rolled her eyes, deciding to call up someone in that moment.

"I believe you already know where I am, correct? Good. Everything has been set into place, whatever is left is up to them. In the meantime, keep your profile low. You are to stay with him until further orders."

Commotion brewed up from the outer court, as heavy footsteps flooded the area behind the wall. Her eyes narrowed. "It's time for me to move. Thirty minutes. We'll talk at headquarters." Hunter J ended the call and kept her back pressed on the perimeter of the wall. The way she was facing made her look at the darkened waters through the sparse trees of the island. Since it was dark out, she easily blended in and hadn't needed to make herself too apparent. She had her own route to run, anyway. Salamence next to her growled in response. "If you don't mind, divert their attention. Don't wait around for orders and attack if needed. Just keep going until I come back, but before that…

"I think we have a little gnat to take care of. Get out. You're not as slick as you think."

Shuffling was heard in the trees and Salamence tensed. Dropping down and dusting himself off, a man wrapped in black strode out from his hiding place, holding a Pokéball. It was a specialty guard. "My oh me, me oh my, what do we have here? A little _spy_?" he sneered. She was not amused in the slightest. Salamence prepared an attack but was stopped by J.

"Nice rhyme."

"What're you doing here? Didn't you die some months back, _J_?!"

"None of that is your concern," she held her own Pokéball up at the man. "You're like a thorn in my side, you know that? Appearing and reappearing as you are." His gaze hardened as he began to pace around their space, throwing his ball up and down. The waters lapped up against a rocky surface, faintly emitting a sound.

"I know. Any remnants of you is not welcome in this world! It's why I became a guard in the first place. Ending threats like you is why I live to serve," he growled.

"Especially if it means no more Pokémon being stolen from little girls who did nothing wrong!"

J simply closed her eyes and readied her Pokéball. "…Holding a grudge, huh? Salamence, if you would please. The opposite direction." Salamence, without a retort, readied his wings, and with a great flap, shot up to the air and made it to the other side of the court. The noise on the other side only grew louder. The ball in her hand opened to form a Pokémon with a large purple tail. It chuckled, almost evilly, as it snapped its pincers adorned on its tail. The guard stepped back once but readied his ball regardless. He wasn't going to back down in the face of his longtime enemy.

"Your Drapion doesn't scare me. Nothing you do, will ever scare me. My daughter didn't deserve what happened to her. I will not, _ever_ , stand to make people like you make a quick buck by ruining someone else's life!" the specialty guard roared, throwing his ball in the air. A Sceptile materialized and growled at its opponent. The specialty guard's eyes widened. "You're going down! Your days of capturing Pokémon _end today_!"

Hunter J opened her eyes. A snarl ripped across her face while she flashed a hand forward. "Hmph. If you want to end me, do it. Otherwise…

"You won't walk out of here alive."

* * *

Looker's fingers tapped against the back rest of a chair, hunched over his colleague, peering into a small computer monitor that displayed the messages his coworker sent addressed to the rest of the command center. Replays of the occurrence on the outer court was shown in a window adjacent to the message. His stare narrowed heavily as his brain tried to discern what was going on.

"I don't get it," Looker spat, "what I'm seeing here is just blurs, it's like I can't make out what's happening at all. What's worse is that our culprit disabled all the cameras on the outer field. Can't we sharpen what we have?" Looker asked, turning to regard his friend. The man's eyebrows wrinkled as his typing slowed once again, throwing his right hand to the mouse.

"What Janine sent me has the image already tampered with. This is the best quality one we have, Sir. Unfortunately, it can't get any clearer than this," he replied, sighing as his hands fidgeted. "I don't think Pokémon can break cameras on the fly, and on that note, what we also don't know is who'd do such concise work of the hidden ones in the amount of time they did. They've had to have studied the building to know where it is, sir."

"That's what irks me." Looker leaned up and sighed in the air, hands going to his hips in that moment. Now what, he thought. "Any intel on the outer court?"

"Negative," a female dressed in a suit replied. "I've not received a call about if the target has been located…"

Looker sighed out frustration, holding his hands to his head. The alarm continued ringing, only furthering his trepidation. There was only so much he could do in that moment. The clicking of a keyboard split his attention, his coworker now typing code into the database. Suddenly, the radio Looker had came to life, relaying a distress signal. In that moment, he fingered for the device hurriedly. "Special Agent Looker of the tactics team, come in. Any idea what's goin' on outside?"

"S-sir...there really was a Pokémon that was observed through the camera. It appears to be a Salamence. It's causing a ruckus on the outer field!" a soldier informed. His speech wasn't as discernible as Looker would like, but he would take all he could at the moment.

"A Salamence…any idea where it came from?"

"None, sir. We're having trouble handling the offender, a few guards have been struck by its attacks. We need some more back up!" he called out. Looker's coworker continued to type away, even faster now that he heard what was going on. Looker's eyes narrowed. A Salamence?

"I'll just have to check this out myself in the meantime. Until then, your directions are hold off the enemy as best you can, backup'll be sent momentarily. Await further orders."

"Yes sir!" the soldier responded, before terminating the connection. Looker sent his gaze back to the female worker, sending her a message through his eyes. She nodded once and began to call for another sector of the facility. He then turned back to his coworker as he worked diligently.

"And…it's done! We should be back online."

His eyes snapped up, and finally at long last, the monitor in front showed signs of life. Images from all over the facility popped up…except… "The ones from the inside are disabled, and locked, sir. I can't mess with that code to get the others up and running."

"No, you've done enough already. Thanks," Looker said as he observed the quarrel on the outer courtyard. Sure enough, there was, indeed a Salamence rampaging around, using Dragon Claws to wreck everything in sight. He saw some International Police guards fight back with their own Pokémon, but each falling to the quadruped. He suspected that not every member he tallied against fell properly, at least, the way they should have. _'Can it be…?'_

"Hmph," he continued, "I think it's about time I get my hands dirty a little. I feel as if I have a lead. I trust the thirteen of you will be fine in my stead?" Without question, the rest of the associates and workers like himself nodded. "Good. Croagunk, pal? We're heading out," he said, using a hand to grip a long time Pokéball he had since he was young. He nodded once, and walked out of the room, going down a dark corridor before turning left, and out a padlocked door.

' _Of course, this can't just be any old Salamence. I have a feeling as if this is_ hers. _And if it is, she'll have a lot of questions to answer to should she get captured. A guess is a guess in the end, but I can never be sure.'_ He walked forward some more, making his way past a set of doors and to the outside. He walked by a few officers headed to a different, more crowded direction at the lower levels of the ground. As he walked a top a raised platform on the perimeter of the building, he saw the Salamence on the far side, being true to his comrade's word and causing much destruction. He put a spring to his step and began running towards the problem at hand.

"Agent Looker! Come in! Guard from sector five reporting!" his radio sounded. He picked it up and slowed to a stop.

"Looker here, speak."

"Sir, in the commotion, sector five has been all but eliminated with guards, but a few remained. Some has just received reports of some prisoners escaping!"

His eyes widened as his face hardened in an instant. What did he just hear? "What. D-did you say _escape_? Details!" His heart began to beat a mile a minute at the news. His free hand balled itself into a fist and shook. Of all times to escape, why now? "Do you know who?"

"Affirmative…they say that a guard has been seen unlocking a prisoner's door and stepping in. Moments later, they both fleeted. When one of us checked, one cell was left unlocked but shut. A guard of ours, Mitchell, is dressed as a prisoner and was announced as deceased following the prisoner's exit."

"…" Looker couldn't breathe at that news. His legs seemed to give, buckling underneath him, but he held on. He weakly released his fist and ran it through his hair. "Mitchell…his family will…" Looker shook his head, he'd allow himself to have a moment later. "Tch…any idea who it may be…?"

"Sir, reports say, Commander Saturn, and Commander Mars, of Team Galactic."

The world that Looker lived in seemed to freeze in that very moment.

Team Galactic.

He offered no immediate reaction, instead, he simply closed his eyes. Everything these past few months, be it peace for Sinnoh, has came to a complete stop. They were on the move again?

"…Sir?" the guard asked after a long moment of silence. He breathed very heavily.

"…I want," Looker began. His hand shakily turned the knob of the radio to an all channel connection. "No, I _need every_ door! _Every_ hallway, _every_ cell, _every_ damn sector in this vicinity locked down this instant. We _cannot_ allow those two, no, _four_ to escape! Today is the first, and last day this'll ever happen again. Everyone, this is a coordinated break out by Team Galactic! All men on the inner and outer perimeter and every guard available in this facility, locate, and stop them, _am I clear!?_ " Looker barked, seething with rage.

All of this flew under his nose. Of course! Salamence on the outer court is nothing but a distraction while the others worm their way out, it's why the cameras weren't working in the first place. Why didn't he realize this sooner?

"Yes sir!" every guard, coworker, tactician and solder alike reaffirmed. They all quickly went to work while the connection was terminated. The moon rose up dead in the middle of the sky, and Looker didn't bother to look at it in that moment. He stepped forward and walked off towards the Salamence causing destruction.

"I won't let anything like this slip by me again. As an International Police Agent, I'll be sure of it. Galactic is moving once again…and just after you think they're gone, they turn back up. A revival indeed."

* * *

"All men on the inner and outer perimeter and every guard available in this facility, locate, and stop them, _am I clear!?_ " Saturn's radio blared out, clearly translating Looker's immense disdain for the situation at hand. Saturn, and now, Mars, the red-haired beauty, were now running on the upper floor of the building, going from zero to one hundred the instant the message came through.

"Well, shit, they're onto us," Saturn growled as he made his way past a few cells, the prisoners yelling and cheering them on, somewhat. Mars offered no immediate reply, instead, looking around for any other exits or doors. It has only been fifteen minutes since Saturn has came to her rescue, herself recalling him unlocking her magnetic door with a key card and supplying her with a lookout garb. She had zero idea where he had obtained those clothes, but she never brought it up, finding it non-important in that moment. She kept up with Saturn's quickened pace, her own radio bouncing against her curved hip. Since then, they decided to make it to the other side of the facility, where their destination lied. "I don't think they'd find us out sooner, but we ran past a few guards. These clothes seem to be working."

"It's good that our current destination is near the outer court- but I don't even know where we're going. Can't you fill me in?" she asked, casting a sideways glance at her partner in crime. Saturn just looked her and smirked a little.

"You weren't filled in when we discussed our plan with Charon before all this happened? If whatever plan he had with Heatran failed, we were to do this regardless. It's risky, at first I didn't want to go through with it, but here I am," he replied, seeing a door ahead of him. There were no other guards present in that area, making their escape all the more easier. Mars sighed as she ran a bit faster.

"I think I was already in custody when it happened. But answer my question, what's next?"

"We have to retrieve our Pokémon on the other side of the building. Jupiter should already be in that area, I haven't received any reports on her yet, so she's doing a hell of a good job with evasive maneuvers," he said as they burst through the door. Now on the outside, the brisk night air felt very welcome the her as she ran atop the perimeter. Directly in front, she could see Hunter J's Salamence causing problems for the other guards. They made eye contact and she nodded, signaling it just a few minutes. "Just a little more and we're gone."

Mars kept running, her lungs told her to stop, but she disobeyed. She looked to her left and saw an explosion sound out. A Pokémon she recognized as Sceptile flew back into a tree, groaning in pain. She shook her head and kept on, seeing the doors grow closer with every step. "How is she still alive?"

"Beats me."

A short answer she didn't want to hear, but she shook her head regardless. If anything, she played a part in her escape, and to that extent, she was thankful. They ran past a few guards, with them being unaware of their presence. Saturn is right, she thought. Those clothes really are working. As the doors approached however, a lone guard stationed in that area steeled his body and blocked the door, Mars and Saturn growled at the abrupt stoppage.

"You two, why are you headed in this direction? You were to receive orders to stop the Pokémon at the courtyard," he voiced, holding up a baton. Mars gulped once and looked to Saturn for guidance. He chuckled under his breath, before changing his face to display no emotion.

"We…can't exactly do that, with no Pokémon. Ours are located in this part of the facility, with the rest of the guard's Pokémon, didn't you know that?"

"The only Pokémon located in this facility are those Pokémon detained from prisoners, soldiers use them as backup. Your garb suggests you're a night watcher, like I am," the guard voiced with an edge to his tone. Saturn didn't care, instead nodding once and putting his hand to his side.

"We've changed our position a month prior, didn't you know?"

"Alright. State the error code and I'll let you pass."

"…Bye bye a go go." Mars' lips curled into a smile, trying to stifle laughter at the idiotic sounding code while Saturn smirked. The night guard's eyes widened, brow raised in confusion. His hands fidgeted, before slacking in defeat. He moved to the side and allowed them to pass through, unlocking the door with a muted sigh.

"Pass."

"Many thanks," Saturn voiced. They both walked into the doorway and continued down the hall. "Come, we have to stop that Pokémon while those idiots get detained. It'd suck if they found their Pokémon, yeah?"

"It definitely would," Mars replied, herself finding it hard to giggle. The guard shut the door following their remarks, going back to man the entrance as if nothing happened. The new part of the building was unfamiliar to Mars, barely any guards in this area as well. Were they all outside, she wondered? She broke into laughter as their destination was in sight. "Seriously, how dumb can they get? And, bye bye a go go? Really?"

"They speak of a legendary Team Rocket agent from Kanto that usually said that. After he served jail time, I heard many of our grunts saying that, and a few guards too. I didn't think it'd actually work," his smirk chuckled out. Mars shook her head as the door they spent all their time looking for appeared. Saturn fished for his metal key, using it to unlock the door. As he hoped, it slipped in, and came right out. He then slid his key card into the slot and type in the code that followed: "1996".

"Access granted," a female voice chimed out. The door unlocked, and he opened with haste, Mars followed directly after. She breathed out in awe as she saw the wide assortments of Pokéballs stacked on shelfs. Ultra-Balls, Luxury Balls, Love Balls, Heavy Balls, Great Balls, they were all here. Each one containing a different Pokémon than the last. Saturn used this time to heavily scan the immediate area, finding no guards present. He then made a beeline towards the back, finding a tray of six, combined with his, and Mars' Pokémon.

"It's been many months, friend. I hope you didn't get hurt or anything," she heard Saturn say to the first ball there. It waggled in response, which brought a huge grin to his face. He took his three and clipped it onto his belt, and she did hers.

"Purugly, dear. I've missed you. We're going to get out of here, and then I'll meet you proper. Just a few more moments," she spoke to her own ball. The ball also wiggled, signaling her Pokémon's acceptance. They both looked at each other, finding Jupiter's Pokémon and attaching them to their own belts afterwards. They nodded once. "Alright, we're set. Time to get out of here."

Saturn moved out of the door and returned to the door the hallway lead to, seeing a Hyper Beam get shot into the air. "At long last."

Their radio came to life, Looker's voice getting through. "Guards! Have you seen them?"

"Negative, sir!" a female guard replied. Saturn and Mars crouched low behind the door, lowering their volume. "So far, no one has reported since your call. Is everything alright on the other field?"

It took Looker a moment to respond. "…The Salamence has fired a Hyper Beam in the air, but other than that, and a few men down, nothing has changed. I'm more concerned about three Commanders than I am a distraction. We need to get our hands on them quick, or else Sinnoh may be in danger once again." The voice he used ended that sentence with a sigh, causing Mars and Saturn to look at one another. Their escape was behind them, all they had to do was open the door and fight through just a bit.

"That's not going to happen on my watch," Saturn whispered to his partner. She regarded him a wary nod, and they both got up, being sure to stay out of sight from the thin window on the door. Further down the hall, footsteps approached in a specific pattern, something that they both easily recognized. "Nice of you to join us."

"Whatever, Pokémon, please," the voice of Jupiter, the third Commander of Galactic responded. "I had to knock out a few guards to get over here."

"You and him both," Mars replied quietly, "good to see you again." She and Saturn both handed her the Pokémon she owned. Jupiter greeted them quietly and put them away afterwards. A repetition of beeps caught their attention, fleeted back to the radios. A distress signal.

"Sir, sir…Specialty Guard…Chase…speaking!"

"You're connected. Agent Looker. Go ahead."

"It's Hunter J! I've fought her, but, agh…she's getting away!" The three's heads snapped up, now realizing the Hyper Beam was a signal. Without any more hesitation, they opened the door and swiftly knocked out the guard from before, throwing a palm to his neck. Search lights began to turn on, scouring the area for her whereabouts. They ran down the perimeter and attempted to make their way over to the waiting Salamence. "We…need to capture her, she's headed to the outer court! Gah…"

"A rendezvous point. I'm on it."

* * *

The specialty guard growled as his Pokémon was knocked back by Drapion's attacks. They've been battling well over ten minutes now, her Drapion dominating his Sceptile for every move he called. Something about her set him off. She supposedly died months prior to today, and yet, here she is in the flesh. What's with her?

"Gah, Sceptile…you alright?" he asked. His eyes never left the Hunter's for a second, calculating her emotionless stare. Sceptile growled in response, slowly getting up from his position on the floor. The specialty guard's badge shone in the moonlight when he took out his Pokéball. "What's with you, J? How the hell are you still breathing? Jail can't stop you, a life sentence can't stop you, and not even death can. What more do you want?!"

She offered no answer, her only response was a hand flashed forward. Drapion took that as a command and used Poison Sting on the struggling Sceptile. Drapion's tail whipped around, pinching the green Pokémon as it screamed. From its arms, it jabbed forward, nailing Sceptile in the stomach with a purple glow of its pincers.

"S-scept!"

"Argh, Sceptile…answer me, J! What's your goal in li-!"

"None of your concern," she barked sharply. "What I do, what I did, and how I survived has nothing to do with you."

"Like hell it doesn't! Ever since you injured my girl, I stopped at nothing to make sure you were behind bars. But every time I look back, you're gone!" he snarled, "every attempt always ends up in failure. Sceptile! Help me out here, use Leaf Storm! Once you're dead, _stay dead_!"

"Drapion," she sighed.

The large purple scorpion chuckled evilly as it pinched Sceptile even more. The Forest Pokémon cried out, powering up a Leaf Storm from its tail before firing it at Drapion. It didn't even flinch as leaves pelted it on all sides. Hunter J, likewise, merely stood there as wind blew, blowing around her silver hair. Her blue eyes pierced a deadly gaze at her opponent, her goggles long since vanished months ago. He disregarded her look and stared back just as hard, burning with fury. Sceptile grimaced, and his attack stopped. Drapion let go of the Forest Pokémon and it dropped to the ground, clutching its midsection tightly.

"Any last words before I end your Pokémon's life?"

The commotion from the outside stopped when a large Hyper Beam fired in the air, the night becoming silent for all but a second.

"… _Burn in hell_!" he screamed, running at J with speed.

Her gaze hardened, and she reared back, dodging the man's punch before giving a right hook of her own. Her fist slammed against his face. He didn't care to shake it off, instead used his left leg to kick at her midsection. She jumped back while he used the momentum to right himself. They both looked at each other as their Pokémon watched. Sceptile growled, its eyes clutched tight as poison seeped into it.

"Gah, damn it!" he yelled. J stood there and merely watched him ball his fist. Tears pricked at his eyes, his body shook, he tried to hold it in, but he couldn't. He broke down that moment, blinded by anger and revenge. "Just die! Die! _Die_!"

Drapion's tail flew and grabbed the man, suspending him in midair while her Pokémon turned to face it. She closed her eyes and gave a joint command. "Cross Poison into Brutal Swing. End _his_ life." Her Pokémon did as told without question. Its claws grew a deep purple, elongated, and swiped directly at his chest, ripping away at his clothes and cutting his badge in half. His pincers squeezed his midsection while his arms dug into his skin. Blood splattered on the ground while the poor guard screamed in pain. Deep poison injected itself into the man's body while he squirmed, head held back and crying out.

"GAH!"

The Ogre Scorpion Pokémon then swung his tail around wildly, throwing the man every which way. He felt bile leave his throat and splash on the ground in heaps. Drapion then slammed him into the ground, over and over, cracking the mans ribs while his midsection bled. Sceptile screamed and fired off a Solar Beam, although weak. Drapion used the man as a shield as the attack burned through his back. He cried out even more before Drapion threw him up in the air.

"Pin missile."

Streaks of light shot out of Drapion's appendages and mercilessly slammed into him repeatedly. He cried out even more as some even went through him. Finally, attacks stopped, causing him to meet with the ground in pain. He groaned, blood flying out of his mouth while he tried to breathe. He weakly regarded her. "Uh…ah…"

"I hope you understand what you're dealing with. Drapion, return." A Pokéball came out and Drapion glowed red, before being sucked inside the ball.

"Stay out of my way."

She walked off, while his vision began to fade. Sceptile weakly crawled over to him. "Scept…tile…"

"My…radio, plea...please…AHHH!" he moaned, weakly pointing towards the black object on the ground. The Forest Pokémon reached towards it and brought to his Trainer. He coughed and slowly pressed a button, sending a distress signal. "Sir, sir…Specialty Guard…Chase…speaking!"

"You're connected," came the voice of Looker. "Agent Looker, go ahead."

He moaned in pain while Sceptile held him close, wrapping an arm around his body. "It's Hunter J! I've fought her, but, agh…she's getting away! We…need to capture her, she's headed to the outer court! Gah…" he weakly groaned. Looker replied with something, but he barely heard what was said. His eyes closed, and he breathed slower. "S-sceptile…thank you, for everything…we couldn't protect Ab…ah…my chest…

"Just…go! Get out of here! Seek help, and…find my daughter. _Please! I'm…counting…on you…"_

All consciousness faded from the man, he barely heard his Pokémon scream, before all was lost.

* * *

Search lights, everywhere. Every light in the facility was up and running while Looker stormed over towards the waiting Drapion. He was furious. Hunter J was alive? She was picking the Galactic members, wasn't she? That was the only conclusion he could make as Salamence hovered there, seemingly waiting. He looked around, seeing downed guards and wounded soldiers littered across the lot. He fingered for his Pokéball and threw it forward. Out popped Croagunk, a small frog like Pokémon, but very fast and dependable.

"Buddy, we have a nuisance that reappeared," he said, crouching to one knee. He looked at his Pokémon in the eye as Croagunk's cheeks expanded and contracted. "We need to capture and the others so Sinnoh will no longer be in danger. You remember what happened at Spear Pillar, yeah?"

It nodded.

"We can't have that happen again, alright? So, let's go after them! Men! Form three teams and approach the offending Pokémon with haste! Let's do this!"

"Yes sir!" they yelled, scrambling to get up and make their way over once again. Sensing movement, the Salamence roared and powered up a Hyper Beam. Looker dashed and called for a Sludge Bomb to block it. Complying, the Pokémon jumped in the air and fired off purple gunk, successfully containing most of the beam. The gunk exploded outward, raining poisonous goops of sludge on the grass. The men behind Looker also ran, calling their own wounded Pokémon to attack. Salamence flew in the air, dodging Flamethrowers, Thunderbolts, Acid Sprays and Ice Beams. The attacks flew off into the night air, leaving the air and the temperature fluctuating in their wake.

Croagunk fell, and Looker caught movement near the upper part of the facility. "Special Agent Looker speaking, I caught sight of the three Commanders. They're mine! Guards and soldiers, after the Salamence!" he yelled through the radio. Immediately following his order, the men behind him continued forward while he and Croagunk took a different route. Looker made his was up a ladder stationed on the side of the wall, successfully grounding himself on the upper ledge of the rectangular court. He ran, seeing the culprits make their way over to Salamence's side of the building. "After them! Speed up!"

Croagunk nodded and sped off, quickly catching up and throwing a Poison Jab at once of them. The three stopped, and, from what Looker saw, a Toxicroak appeared, blocking his attack. "What?! They got their Pokémon back? Damn them…"

Finally, in his Pokémon's stead, Looker caught up and put his hands to his hips, looking at Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. "I've got you…finally."

"…"

"…"

"…Hm. Can I help you?" Saturn asked monotone. The family line of Croagunk had their arms tensed against each other, Croagunk looking to overpower Toxicroak, while the bigger Pokémon just blocked his advances. The sounds of airships began to whir in the distance.

"Help me?" Looker spat, "yes, actually. What are you doing out of your damn cells? What're you planning?"

"As. If. I'd. Tell," he replied, throwing a hand forward. Toxicroak jabbed Croagunk in the stomach and flew back to Saturn's side. Looker's Pokémon skidded back towards him, a smirk adorned its lips. Looker's lips turned into a frown at the answer.

"Unfortunate. I guess I'll just have to beat it out of you, then. Croagunk-!"

"You'd have to get through me, first," the voice of Hunter J interrupted. She appeared behind the Galactic members, moving forward to give Looker a hard stare. Looker saw that her signature visors were not present, allowing her eyes to show themselves. He shook.

" _You_ ," he spat venomously. "You're alive. Why? How?"

"None of your concer-"

"Don't give me that!" Looker yelled, Croagunk readying his body. "You know it is my concern, considering that you've been pronounced dead by the public. I need answers and not bullshit. Arceus," he barked. He didn't want himself to get so worked up, but he couldn't help himself in that moment. All these months of peace and they were just hiding. It pained him to see that all his efforts amounted to nothing in the end. Hunter J sighed and closed her eyes, preferring to wipe her face. "Answer me!"

"…"

"Grr…Croagunk! Pursuit!" Looker ordered loudly. Croagunk proceeded to disappear and then reappear behind his future evolutionary form, chopping him in the back. Toxicroak didn't even budge from his hit, but he then kicked Croagunk in the head. The three escapees proceeded to run down the rest of the ramp, going to where airships (he didn't even recall them landing there) were present. Looker steeled himself and proceeded to give chase. Hunter J ran ahead of him, throwing out Drapion's Pokéball once again. "Croagunk, come back for now. Arcanine can handle this. Go!" he yelled, recalling his loyal Pokémon in favor for more fire power.

Arcanine, classified as the Legendary Pokémon, popped out without an order and used Extreme Speed to catch up to his offender. Drapion also ran, but much slower. "Catch it," she swiftly commanded.

"Flamethrower!" he quickly fired back. Burning fire belched from his Pokémon mouth and raced towards Drapion, who had no chance of dodging. Returning Toxicroak, the three jumped off the edge and landed on the ground where all the soldiers were busy fighting Salamence. It roared, throwing a Dragon Claw to cut off the solders attacks. Hunter J jumped on her loyal Pokémon when in appeared at her side, allowing her to catch up to the rest. Her Drapion shrugged off the super effective attack and grabbed Arcanine by the body.

"Use Cross Poison!" Hunter J called from her Salamence, the wind whipped her hair around. Drapion's arms glowed deep purple once again and prepared to strike.

"Arcanine! Flamethrower!" Looker yelled, running towards the airships ahead of his Pokémon. "You gotta make him burn as much as you can! Quick!" Arcanine quickly complied and breathed fire as he was struck with the poisonous attack. Drapion howled and let go of Arcanine as Arcanine growled as he was swiped with poison. They both tried to shake it off, but Arcanine panted, finding himself poisoned. "You're not getting away, J!"

"Shut up! Brutal Swing!"

"Drap!" From its tail, Drapion grabbed the poisoned Arcanine and used the same move that crushed the Specialty Guard relentlessly. Arcanine howled as he was slammed into the ground and then thrown off the platform!

"Arcanine!" he yelled desperately, seeing his Pokémon fly to the other side of the outer court. It crashed into a few guards, causing them to moan in pain. Looker ripped his eyes away and gave Hunter J a murderous glare. Hunter J smirked and flew back towards the airships, she jumped off Salamence and settled herself inside with the other three. From her position, she commanded a Flamethrower.

"Attack him directly, then use Dragon Claw!"

From Salamence's mouth, fire exploded and angrily sped towards the man. He guarded his face as the flames met him, burning up his attire. "Argh!"

It just kept going and going, never stopping. His hands, scorching in the flames, curled to allow his palms protection, his side swept hair signed while it was blown back by the wind force. Suddenly, a Dragon Claw was thrown at his unprotected stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Finally, the fire stopped. He fell to the ground while the guards and soldiers screamed out in worry. He clutched his midsection as he stared up at the fleeting form of an airship.

"Keep this in mind, International Police," she spoke to all of them. "Don't look for me, you'll just be wasting your time. Get in my way, and I won't hesitate to kill you. Team Neo Galactic will bring destruction upon this world. Life as you know it, will come to an _end_." A spotlight tried to catch her, but the door closed just in the nick of time. The ship hovered in the air for a moment, before blasting off towards the night sky.

Looker struggled, looking up weakly at the moving form of the ship. The spotlight managed to catch the ship, revealing a symbol Looker began to resent. A 'G' made itself known, black, outlined in silver, stars dotted on the lower part of the emblem, reminiscent of a galaxy. This was all Looker saw before the ship literally faded from sight, disappearing into nothing.

Ever so silently, the wind blew across the rippling waters that evening. It was some night, the wild Pokémon found at the rocky, mountainous island were minding their own business, tending to their devices quietly. The night sky was barely obscured by clouds, causing the moon to provide its non-reassuring lights across the waves.

It all looked so peaceful…but for Looker, it was anything but. Yes, many of _them_ were gone, off the radar, as they called it, and he _hated_ it. He finally regarded to moon while his consciousness faded, finding no energy to continue. Battered and smoking, he felt his head hit the ground.

"Damn you…Team…Galac...tic…"

* * *

The sun greeted Maverick, Rika, and Alex as they stood on their porch that morning, backpacks full of supplies and food for the road ahead, their new clothes for the adventure dawned them. They were there along with their parents, and Winona, all of which were standing there in a swirl of emotions. The three teens looked at them just as sad, but, they also held faces with smiles, happy to be doing this. Wind blown across the landscape, swaying their hair as they all silently stared at each other.

Kimberly shook, her face breaking her stare, as she slightly doubled over and weakly went over to her husband, who held her slowly, himself trying to hold in his feelings.

"I may never see you again," she sniffed, burying her face in her husband's chest. He laid a hand atop her head and stroked her hair. It was at that instant that the three broke, their smiles disappearing and their faces quickly twisting into one of immense sadness and discomfort. Maverick, who was sweater-less, looked down at the ground as his vision got blurry with tears.

"I know," he spoke quietly for the three of them. Kimberly continued to hug her husband, weeping softly while he looked at the ceiling of the porch. Alex and Rika looked away, towards Route 201 Gateway, hiding their own sadness. Winona looked at all of them before sighing softly.

It was quiet again.

"Now, now, Kimberly, Jonathan, Maverick, Alexander, Rika. This is a joyous occasion, alright? We're supposed to be happy. Leaving home is just part of growing up, experiencing new things in life is how you grow as a person. You know that, you've done it yourselves," Winona explained quietly. Her own voice was breaking, but she began to smile. She continued.

"You've left your parent's home, went on a journey, and came back different from when you started. You've never lost sight of your aspirations as you traveled. Sure, you lost sometimes, got injured, and all those ill feelings, but you held on – and they will, too. We need to be happy for them."

The parents sniffed and broke apart, recollecting themselves. She was right, they thought. They both looked at their children again, but with sad smiles on their faces. Kimberly excused herself and walked back inside for a moment.

Winona and Jonathan looked at the three, who silently had their gazes somewhere else. They both knew that they were trying to get over the fact they're leaving, evident by their shaking bodies. Regardless, he walked forward and took the three in a hug. "It's okay," he whispered.

"The beginning of your lives is just a hop and a skip away. Keep your head up, and run for it."

They nodded, and sniffed as Kimberly walked back out, holding Maverick's sweater, along with three Pokéballs. Rika's father proceeded to take her ball, and held it up to her. Winona took Alex's ball, and presented it to him, while Maverick's mother took his ball, along with his sweater, and gave it to the young man. "Your Pokémon."

With melancholic faces, the three took their Pokémon and called them out wordlessly. The starters regarded their Trainers in wonder before rubbing themselves on their legs, trying to cheer them up. Turtwig crawled up Maverick, making himself at home on top of his head, while he put his sweater on slowly. He didn't notice, but a green Pokémon League logo, a newly redesigned version of the previous one, was emblazoned on the left chest area.

Rika picked up Chimchar and she looked at him softly, holding him tight to her chest. His flame warmed up her body, comforting her in its own way. Alex placed Piplup on his shoulder, his Pokémon using her beak to peck him softly. He smiled for the first time, albeit softly as she did so.

"What, not saying anything? Look at you all, you're all set," Jonathan pointed out.

"Oh…? S-sorry, I just…" Rika tried to begin, scrambling to recompose herself.

"…didn't think that," Alex continued, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"I'd leave you behind," Maverick finished, regarding his parents with a sad face. "But…we'll try to call every now and then and…um…" he tried to translate. Turtwig nudged him, which Maverick appreciated.

"It's okay, we know," his mom nodded. She walked up and hugged them tightly. "Safe travels."

"Good bye, Mom, Dad, Mrs. McKnight," Rika listed off, hugging her back. "I'll write to you."

"Grandma, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I'll come visit every now and then," Alex spoke, also hugging her back. Piplup and Chimchar joined in, hugging them as well. Mrs. McKnight and Jonathan joined in, finally finishing their group hug.

Maverick remembered this moment.

* * *

They all walked towards Route 201, all of them. Every new Trainer of Twinleaf Town stood on top of a hill that overlooked their quaint town. Maverick, Rika, and Alex, along with the rest of the Trainers all threw a hand up, waving back and shouting goodbyes to their parents, who waved back. Finally, the three, filled with jubilation waved and shouted, along with their Pokémon.

"Goodbye Mom and Dad! We'll call!"

"See you later!"

"Bye Grandma!"

"AND GOODBYE TWINLEAF TOWN!" every next generation Trainer yelled at the top of their lungs. They all turned, and ran down Route 201, ready to begin the rest of their lives, with smiles on their faces.

.

.

.

 _ **To be Continued.**_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Whew. A LOT happened this chapter! A great way to celebrate all 5 years poured into this story. I planned this whole chapter out for eight months, and I'm finally glad that I got this finished in time for the story's anniversary!**

 **Team Galactic is on the move! They've broken out of prison, and have successfully evaded capture from the International Police agent, Looker. That's not all, Hunter J makes a proper entrance into this story, but there's one prominent question surrounding her- Just how did she survive? The specialty guard seemed to have a ton of beef with her…and what is Team Neo Galactic's goal? The only way you'd find out is if the story ahead will tell you.**

 **Those who will know, however, are these people. A huge thanks to _Epicocity_ , _AdvancedAlto_ , and _potat lasaro_ for reviewing every chapter up until now. Your constructive reviews have helped me a lot. **

**Also, a big thanks to _CityLover96_ and _Killfith_ for favoriting and following, respectively. The story is just getting started, I hope you'll join me the rest of the way as the journey continues. **

**Live long and Shine on, until next chapter!  
~XDiamondX90**


	6. A Hop and a Skip Away

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Happy holidays! This chapter was intended to go up the 25** **th** **, but I wanted to hold on to it for an interim period. Sorry for taking so long to update. Not to keep you waiting any longer, let's get to chapter 6!**

 **I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

 **Chapter 6: A Hop and a Skip Away**

* * *

"…where is it? I know I left it around here somewhere," sighed a worried young girl. Her long dirty blonde hair swiveled somewhat elegantly in the air as her hands fidgeted. Her fingers were going crazy, twitching with worry over a lost item. She was in her bedroom, her curtains were drawn up, but the sunlight that poured in did nothing to help her find it. "Under the bed, maybe? Come on…" she cried.

She bent down, her green, sleeved arms pressed lightly against her wooden floor as she crouched and peeked under her bed. The sight that greeted her golden eyes was a darkened view of the hard-wood floor. In the moment, she allowed her body to deflate, losing any sense of hope. "Ugh…come on! Did I really misplace it? I could've sworn I had it not too long ago." She stood up defiantly and put her hands on her jean-covered hips. She scanned the area.

Her bedroom walls were covered with illustrations, some she considered not very good, and others she could feel proud of herself with. A brown desk sat in the corner, stacked with papers of many types, and along with it were various pencils and brushes, a bowl of water, and many erasers. Her pink, neat bed held a few important items for herself, but it was missing one thing.

"Just where is my canvas?"

Footsteps were heard scaling the stairs outside her door, and she turned to regard whoever might join her momentarily. "Have you tried under your bed?" a kind voice asked. The girl rolled her eyes, putting a hand over her glasses covered face.

"I did, mom. Wasn't there! I've looked in every nook and cranny in the room and nothing turned up!" she whined, throwing her arms up. "I know today is the day I'm allowed to travel, but I can't leave home without it. Have you seen it?"

Her mother's footsteps grew louder, suddenly going quiet when she appeared in her doorway, hands behind her back while offering small smile. She wore an apron, with her green shirt peeking out the sides. A Pokémon stood on her shoulders, before it hopped down and raced over to where the girl was. The young girl gave a happy cry as the Pokémon jumped in her arms, mewling happily.

"Hey there, Shinx! Nice to see you. All rested up?" she asked with a large smile. The blue Pokémon responded with a nod, before turning to look at the older woman.

"Dear me, honey, your room is a little on the messy side, I know you call this clean, but…"

"Oh, it's an organized mess, mom. Nothing to worry about! See, I know _exactly_ where everything is. Except for my canvas. It's the only thing missing, see?" she offered with a wave of her hand before pointing to her bed. Her mom held a surprised look on her face. Neatly placed, somehow, were her adventuring items: a large backpack, clothes, and other little trinkets. Made more apparent though, were her art items. Save for a water bottle, and brushes, pretty much a duplicate of everything on her desk made it on the bed.

And, well…there was a _lot_.

"All of this? Are you sure, Sabrina? You have a larger backpack than what I would've liked."

The girl in question gave her mother a peace sign, with the Pokémon in her arms doing the same with its paws, or at least, it attempted to. "Yup! All these items are essential for a Pokémon Watcher!"

"A Pokémon Watcher? Dear me…" Her mother chuckled and walked in a bit more, moving one hand to pat her daughter lightly on the head. The golden sun illuminated her figure. "Well, you're not even a Trainer yet, much less a Watcher. You need a license for that, have you forgot?" she asked, before giving her daughter a light tap on her forehead. Sabrina merely giggled, before moving towards her window.

"Yeah," she responded. Her golden-brown hair seemed to flow with her energetic movements.

"…Oh?" her mother asked with her tone going up an octave. "How could you forget something like that?"

Sabrina froze and Shinx jumped out of her arms, he took a position on the bed and rested there. "No, mom, I mean…" she stammered, "I haven't forgotten, don't worry." She looked out the window to a view that overlooked Route 202 from Jubilife City. The city was abuzz as she saw the large amount of Pokémon Trainers head in various directions. "That's why I'm heading over to Sandgem Town, so I can meet up with the Professor and register! He already knows I'm coming, so, I'll be fine!"

"Well, I'm happy for you. You've met all the requirements, anyway. I guess I can't keep you here any much longer than what you would've liked," the older woman replied, leaning over to look at a drawing of the different Gym Leaders of Sinnoh. They held a pose, with the recently redesigned Pokémon League insignia behind them. Her mother smiled softly, remembering her older days with her friends - there were different Gym Leaders, of course. "Didn't you want to become a League Trainer once upon a time? I remember you saying something like that - oh, this is a nice drawing. You've even got their personality down and everything…" her mother's voice quieted to a whisper.

"Yeah, once, but I kind of figured that— he-hey! Don't look at that! Mooom!" Sabrina whined, throwing herself away from the window. She got in front of her mother and pushed her away lightly. "No, mom, it's terrible! Geez!" she pouted, almost scrambling to cover it up. She remembered Roark's nose seemed crooked. Her mother giggled loudly at her daughter's reaction.

"Oh no, I think it looks beautiful. They all look so energetic, and Roark, Wake, Byron and Volkner look especially handsome." Red burned at her daughter's cheeks, and her red glasses fogged up.

"I-I…um…well," she stammered, before quickly shaking her head. "Ah, it doesn't matter! Anyway, mom, I've thought about it, and I found out I like drawing battles more than I like being in one. Being a Pokémon Watcher not only allows me to draw people and Pokémon, but it also allows me to make a memory of every day that passes. When I go on a journey, I'd love to draw everything I see. It would be like my own little scrapbook."

"Hm," her mother hummed. "I like that answer, but you can't exactly make a scrapbook if you don't have a canvas, right?"

Sabrina's body deflated again. "Oh, yeah, that thing…"

"Haha! Which is why," she began, revealing her other hand. In a box, a smaller canvas was presented to her. "I bought you a new one, along with a sketchbook. I'd…imagine you can't paint with a canvas all the time, due to weather, so…I got you a sketchbook. They're both a nice size. I also noticed you didn't have any pencils with various graphite levels, so, I bought you some too. Hope you enjoy it as you travel, okay?"

Sabrina's golden eyes instantly lit up and she practically tackled her mother, smothering her with a hug. "Oh, thank you! I will!" she cried happily. Her mother rubbed her hand on her smooth hair endearingly.

"Every piece of art you make is beautiful in my eyes, okay? I'll be rooting here for you, along with your father. Don't forget that," she said with a soft tone. Sabrina lifted her face out of her mother's bosom with tear-filled eyes and nodded. She let go of her mother and accepted the gift wholeheartedly. "Pack up the rest of your stuff and be sure to head down for food before you go, okay?"

"Right," she responded happily. With that, her mother closed the door behind her as Shinx hopped off her bed and made his way over to Sabrina, who looked out the window once again. She tightened her grip on her gift as she looked towards Sandgem Town. "Shinx," she voiced.

"Shi?" he questioned, looking up with his bright, yellow eyes. Sabrina smiled softly.

"Sandgem Town is waiting for us. So, let's hurry and pack to meet up with Professor Rowan! We don't want to be late, right?" she questioned excitedly with a pump of her fist. Shinx jumped on the windowsill and readily joined in, and they both held their arms up to the still rising sun ahead of them…well, Shinx attempted to. Sabrina gave him brownie points for trying.

* * *

Adventure.

That was the only word on the Trainers' minds as they made their way towards Route 201. Colors of green, blue, white, and gold flooded their view and kept them entranced as they kept moving forward. For Maverick, a boy turned Trainer - a _Pokémon Trainer,_ it was practically a dream come true. The very thing his parents had done when they were his age, and countless others, was something he was finally experiencing for himself.

Going on an adventure.

A little green Pokémon he can finally call his own was by his side, trotting down the path with an admittedly adorable bounce in his step. The teen was glad that his Turtwig had been able to receive a Trainer after two years with the kind professor. Just thinking about his situation made Maverick more determined than ever to be kind to him – after all, they _did_ make a promise. A promise to grow stronger. How will they do that? Maverick did not know.

But no matter! The answer will come with time, he gleefully thought. With that in mind, he turned around and witnessed his sister and her Pokémon walking along with Alex, his best friend since the day he was born. The boy had Piplup in his arms, and Piplup seemed to stare up at her Trainer with a smile. On the other hand, Maverick's sister followed in Alex's footsteps with Chimchar walking alongside her. He saw that they were soaking up the sights of the tail end of Route 201 Gateway.

About 15 years ago, the people of Twinleaf Town helped establish a meadow of flowers further up north. This soon became the basis for the vivid and scented Floaroma Town, which, despite their efforts, refused to grow until a Mythical Pokémon blessed the land to bloom. The dwellers that built the town were so grateful for Twinleaf's help, that they showed their gratitude by building an entrance way to Route 201, appropriately named Route 201 Gateway. The entrance inherited a part of Floaroma Town's features: Wooden arches that went over the paved road, rich grass and soil that tickled the wild Pokémon's feet, and a wide array of flowers that gave off a beautiful scent. The Gateway became an honorable mention for introducing new Trainers into the world from Twinleaf Town. His mom liked to think that the kind gesture was a blessing from Floaroma, wishing them good fortune on their travels.

The activity on the route expressed that. Plenty of Trainers hung around, conversing among themselves and playing with their Pokémon as they worked out a plan of action. The wild Pokémon were abundant: Bidoof gnawed on fallen trunks of wood, while Pokémon he knew as Starly flew through the air. The sun shined, illuminating the tall, bushy trees that painted shadows of leaves on the road. There were white fences that lined the rim of the road to the arch, and just beyond that was a sign post.

"…"

The teen looked down at his Pokémon and saw that Turtwig was staring at him with a patient look on his face. Maverick didn't realize he stopped walking and quickly apologized. "Sorry to keep you waiting! I guess I was too caught up in the sights," he leaned down a bit, "how are you, little guy?"

Turtwig gave him a bright smile, and the deep green colors of his leaf shimmered in the sunlight. Maverick took that as a positive response. "I'm glad. Are you all rested up from last night?" Turtwig nodded.

"Last night was fun, wasn't it, Chimchar? I'm surprised my bed didn't catch fire…" Rika noted from behind him, patting her starter on the head. Chimchar looked as if he liked that, because his flame grew in size. Maverick just smiled at the sight. Yeah, last night was fun. After receiving their starters from the Professor, the job was getting acquainted and preparing. He'd like to say the Pokémon and their Trainers were getting along well enough at this point.

Following that, they continued on their way through the lively route. As Maverick made his way down the path, he could only hear snippets of conversations other people had. Some about battling, others about coordinating, a very sad one about Ash Ketchum's loss to Tobias yesterday, and a hushed one about some sort of event on Iron Island. He found himself more concerned about the major upset than anything else.

He watched the battle himself. It was a spirit shatter. The boy was devastated, but he was more surprised about Tobias' roster. Two Mythical Pokémon? He so deeply wished that Ash would've found some sort of way to win, but Tobias' strength was beyond Ash's reach. Maybe if Tobias had more common Pokémon, the raven-haired Trainer could have made it to the finals.

A very funny thought crossed the teen's mind, _'what would happen if I challenged Ash? Would he even accept? Ah, who am I kidding? There's no way he'd have time for me. He would be busy trying to face a better challenger, like Paul…though it would be nice to fight him someday…'_

Maverick shook his head. The only thing stopping him from challenging _the_ Ash Ketchum to a battle was experience…or running into him. He was still in Sinnoh, right? _The_ Ash Ketchum was in his home region! Maybe if he could reach Lily of the Valley Island in a few hours it could be possible. Or what about if he trained more? Or what if they meet as champions? No, wait, Maverick thought, what if-!

He suddenly lost his balance.

"Maverick? Hellooo? Are you in there or what?" Alex asked while shaking his friend's shoulders. Maverick let out an inhumane noise out of surprise, quickly righting himself before he could embarrass himself further. "We asked you a question."

"Uh, sorry, what?" he asked, feeling the chill of embarrassment running through his veins. He really has to stop spacing out.

"Which way should we go?" Rika called from ahead of him. She gestured towards a sign post directing their path. "It seems we have two options. Left takes us through the longer half of the route leading to Lake Verity, and right takes us to a shortcut to get to Sandgem Town."

"Sandgem Town…isn't that where the Pokémon Professor is? I think he said something about making sure to stop by his lab," Maverick noted, he tightened the grip on his backpack. Alex shrugged in response.

"I think going to the lake first would be nice. I mean, we just started our journey, so, why not see the sights? Plus, I'm sure we can relax and let our Pokémon play there for a bit. What do you think, Piplup? Lake Verity is a large body of water I'm sure you'd enjoy!" the Pokémon at his side seemed to instantly like that idea, given she chirped and almost headed off in that direction. The blonde boy could only chuckle at her nature.

"Good point. It might give me some time to get to know this little guy better," Maverick agreed, he bent down and gave his Pokémon a smile. Turtwig just returned his look. Maverick knew he and Turtwig were still practical strangers to one another, so he kind of expected piles of awkward conversations to form between them. That said, he was determined to want to learn about his unfamiliar companion. Rika's Pokémon agreed with Piplup and pulled on his Trainer's white pants to lead her to the lake.

Rika giggled, "so, I guess it's settled. We'll take the longer way around, then," she finalized to the group. The Pokémon cheered in response and went on ahead of them as they walked, but Turtwig stayed near his Trainer, not fully confident in running off just yet.

"…You know," Alex started, watching Piplup run ahead, "I just realized I don't know the first thing about owning something that's alive. Glameow is my grandmother's, so, she doesn't count, but someone I can call my own?

"Is that what being a Trainer feels like?"

The scent of flowers filled Maverick's nose as he gave his question some thought. He learned the fundamentals of being a Trainer: How to catch a Pokémon, how to battle, how to care for one after said battle, the whole nine yards, but he realized he didn't know how to be _with_ them. He paused, and once again looked at Turtwig. His Pokémon returned a blank look.

That's right. Turtwig was _his._ Even though he graduated from Trainer's school, he didn't realize the amount of responsibility that would be placed on him. If anything happened to Turtwig, or any other Pokémon he might catch in the future, he was the guy responsible. That thought made him shiver.

"I…don't know. Mom or dad didn't really prepare us for this, huh, Rika?"

"They didn't, or at least, I don't think they did. I've wanted a Pokémon for some time now, but now that I finally have one, I'm not sure if I can keep up with the craziness of it all. Whatever happens now, from this point on, will we be ready for it?" she quietly asked. The three of them stood still, facing the path leading to Lake Verity. The other Trainers and Pokémon left a long time ago, already sure in their decisions and actions, yet, the three of them remained uncertain of what lied ahead of them. Chimchar and Piplup noted their absence and turned, giving them questioning looks. Turtwig kept looking at Maverick's pensive face.

Maverick turned and looked back at Twinleaf town. He squinted. He could faintly see his parents and Alex's grandmother standing there, looking at them. They had not moved an inch.

" _What I'm trying to say is,"_ his mother's words echoed from a few nights ago, _"it's normal to feel a little reluctant to accept the fact you'll be leaving, but you can't let that serve as a roadblock to becoming something great. The road may be hard, but you have to find the courage to trek it."_

As if knowing their predicament, his mother gave him a thumbs up.

Maverick smiled.

"…Yes," he said, his voice carrying a wave of certainty that washed over Rika and Alex. The two looked at him, and then followed his gaze. "We _are_ ready. We've been ready all along, it's just having to find courage. That's what mom told me. We can do it, just as long as we keep learning along the way. I promised Turtwig that we'll go on a journey together, and that's what I'll do. Responsibility is something you gain with experience, and we can get there. All it takes is one step.

"Remember what dad said, 'the beginning of our lives is a hop and a skip away', so, let's keep our heads up, and run for it!" he exclaimed, looking at them with determination. His words seemed to have affected them, given they nodded in understanding. He's right, they _can_ do it! With that thought in mind, they waved a final goodbye to their guardians. They were ready.

The sun shined bright, the flowers swayed in the wind, and the three of them stood at the end of Route 201 Gateway. Ahead of them was the Sinnoh Region, the first of many regions to be discovered by their eyes. They had their doubts, they had their hang ups, but what they also had were each other. The three of them vowed to trust themselves. They promised their Pokémon a journey, but they couldn't do that if they didn't have courage to walk the road in front of them. They were sure they would miss their parents and grandmother alike, but they accepted that in order to grow, they would have to use their legs and walk themselves.

With that thought in mind, they ran, looking forward to the beginning of their lives.

* * *

It seemed the activity of the gateway moved over to an area famous for its large body of water - Verity Lakefront. The lake was a landmark for the people of Southwestern Sinnoh, mostly due its pristine blue waters, bushy, tall pine trees, and the surrounding area filled with sprawling Pokémon of various types. The surrounding area was treated as if it was a park: wide open spaces, brick walkways, benches and lampposts galore and a view that rivaled that of the gateway's expansive Twinleaf Town. The snow capped peaks of Mountain Coronet were reflected on the undisturbed pool, coupled with the scattering rays of sunlight.

But what really pronounced itself as an attraction was Sinnoh's own mystery of a large red Gyarados somehow dwelling inside Verity. It was popular among kids, but some adults speak of a different myth about this place, a myth far greater than that…

 _Splash!_

The lake protested the disturbance in the form of ripples that expanded from the origin point of Piplup's dive. The little Pokémon chirped happily underwater as she swam, seeing all sorts of Water Type Pokémon swimming along with her. Some Pokémon she recognized as Magikarp gaped at her enthusiasm and swam away from her, heading towards a strange gold colored one of their kind. She didn't care; she simply enjoyed the coolness of the lake. She found it was a beautiful blue, especially with the sun poking through and lighting up some corals. She analyzed the view and swam up to report back to her waiting Trainer.

Her head broke through the surface, taking a chance to puff up her cheeks and spray water at the face of her Trainer who laughed and wiped it away quickly. "Ah, Piplup! Quit it, haha!"

"Pip!" she squeaked, opting to repeat the same action. Alex had to move away this time.

"Ah, you're lucky I'm wearing clothes! If I was in my swim trunks you would've got it!" Alex cried while shielding his face from the water pounding it. "Now you got my shirt all wet…"

Piplup replied by getting out of the water and shaking herself dry, casting more water on her Trainer. Alex gawked at her behavior before an amused smirk donned his features. He took off his backpack and black jacket, revealing his blue collared shirt before rubbing his hands. "Ooh, now you're gonna get it!" he chuckled and ran towards her. She squeaked and moved her stubby little feet, running as fast she can. Her flippers were thrown back and her beak was pointed, guiding her as she made her way towards a bench. Alex swiftly dodged Trainers throwing frisbees to their Pokémon, before calling out for his Pokémon to come back. She ignored him, sounds similar to laughter erupting from her beak. She wasn't sure if Alex would appreciate getting wet, but she took her chance. If he's this fun loving, she guessed they'll grow really close.

Alex and Piplup kept this up a few more minutes, his multiple attempts to catch her proved futile. He shook his fist, laughing. "Alright, whew, I give up. You're a fast little critter," he muttered to himself while she stopped and teased him. He shook his head, reaching onto his pocket and pulling out his blue Pokédex. He almost dropped it in the event of their scuffle, but luckily the device didn't fall out. He grew curious about its contents, flipping it open and taking a look. It powered on automatically, reading "Pokédex" on the top screen, but what caught his attention was what he heard.

"Please enter the Trainer Card on left slot of this Pokédex to format and activate," a bubbly female voice instructed through tinny speakers, Alex had to do a double take.

"Wait, it talks? Whoa, um, okay…" he complied, and pulled out his plastic golden card before sliding it in. The dual screens turned black, and white words reading 'formatting' appeared on the top screen and, 'do not close the Pokédex in this state' on the bottom. It only took a moment. Piplup waddled towards him out of curiosity.

"Format complete," spoke the friendly female voice again. The screens came to life, once again reading Pokédex on the top screen. "Hello! I'm Dex, a Pokédex programmed from the Pokémon Research Facility in Sandgem Town for the Pokémon Trainer Alexander McKnight. My function is to provide Alex with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If I am lost or stolen, along with the Trainer Card, request for a replacement from Professor Rowan." It took a short pause. "Notice: an update is available for the current device model HANDY910. Please visit a Pokémon Center for further instructions."

"…This is actually pretty cool," Alex breathed, glossing over the menu. Piplup looked over the strange device too, before Alex pocketed it. "Well…don't wanna mess this up. I don't want to fiddle around too much with it. I'll check it out some more when we get to Sandgem. For now, though, let's see where the other two went, yeah?" Piplup, as always, held no resistance and gleefully strolled along with Alex to his best friends. He made sure to grab his jacket along the way.

Now that his Pokédex have been formatted, at least he could get a head start on learning about the other kinds of creatures that lived in their world. He remembered countless lectures on 'making use of your tools' the teacher spent a couple of weeks on. It was an odd unit, but he learned the insane number of tools Trainers have at their disposal – the Pokédex being the utmost important. Technology has advanced quickly in the last 5 years compared to the earlier half of the decade, so he would not be surprised if his Pokédex may see such liberties in the future.

It'd be terrible if it was lost or stolen, though. He made sure to keep his Trainer Card somewhere safe in the meantime. Hopefully there wouldn't be some sort of replacement fee to pay… Now then, Trainer Card safe, backpack secured and Dex put away for later inspection, he made his way over to the siblings. Rika appeared to be writing something down in a notebook of sorts, before his soft steps caught her attention.

"Hey."

"Ah, there you two are! How was the water?" she asked, quickly putting her items away. Alex motioned to his shirt and face, before giving Piplup an amused smile.

"Well, I learned water is wet. This thing won't be drying off anytime soon, thanks to Piplup here. She's pretty fast." Piplup seemed to laugh at him, causing the blonde boy to roll his eyes. "What about you? What'cha writing there?"

Her eyes widened, a nervous blush appeared over her cheeks. "O-oh, um, nothing. Just…words and stuff," she replied, inching back slightly.

Alex squinted his eyes, amused smile growing. "Oh, yeah? May I see it?"

"A-absolutely not!" she said quickly, almost scrambling to cover up her bag. Chimchar looked up from his resting position on the green grass, casting his Trainer a curious look. Alex held his hands up, eyes wide.

"Okay, okay, just a question… I mean, it's not like I bite or anything."

Maverick, who was off to the side of her, made himself known. "Is that a diary? Aren't you a bit old for that?"

"What? W-who said this was a diary? There's no diary around here…haha…" she said with waning confidence, made apparent by her reaching up and playing with her hair. Alex could see Chimchar wasn't buying it. Alex himself could only guess what she was writing. "And even then, who said writing thoughts down had an age limit?"

"...So, it _is_ a diary," Maverick confirmed with hands on his hips. Rika had to do a double take.

"W-what? It's totally _not_ a diary. Where did you even get that idea from!?"

"You just said…"

"I didn't say anything, and that's that!" Rika finalized with a large blush and a hasty cross of her arms. The others merely stared at her. "Now, could you get off my case? Please?"

Her brother chuckled, "alright, alright. No need to be so possessive. It makes you seem childish," Maverick quipped. Rika lost her embarrassed nature and gave her dark haired brother a frown.

"Childish? _I'm_ the one whose older than _you,_ remember!" she exclaimed, causing much of the emotion on her brother's face to drain. Alex's amused smile let a sigh escape. Not this again…

"What? The only people who know how old we are is mom and dad, but they aren't here, and they never tell us, so therefore _I_ say I'm older than _you_."

"Ugh! There's no way _you're_ older than _me_!" she retaliated. "There's something seriously wrong with your brain if you think for a minute you're the older sibling."

"I think my brain works perfectly fine! _You're_ the one who can't understand simple facts. Just admit I'm older than you, you'll sound less childish that way."

Rika's eyebrows narrowed, "shut up! All you ever do is space out like a complete idiot whenever someone says something negative to you. You don't face them head on, _that's_ being childish!"

"Hey," Maverick warned, it seemed she hit somewhat of a sour spot from what Alex could tell, "quit arguing back and just admit I'm older than you!" Maverick yelled, getting annoyed.

"No! The more you keep saying that, the more childish _you_ sound!"

"Shut up, Rika!"

"No, you shut up, idiot!"

"No, _you_!"

"No, _you_!"

Alex became an observer at a tennis match in that moment, watching them go back and forth. All of their Pokémon were completely lost and looked up to the blonde boy as guidance. He saw this and gave them a reassuring look, getting an idea. A dumb smile appeared on his face.

"Guys!" he yelled, promptly getting their attention. "You forgot something very important!"

They both looked at each other, completely caught off guard. "What…?" they both asked, turning to face their friend. Alex stayed quiet for a few seconds, and they looked at him intensely with baited breaths. "What is it?" they both asked again.

"…I'm the oldest one here!"

Silence.

No one dared say a word, human nor Pokémon alike. The poor creatures were just confused at the strange behavior exhibited by their Trainers. Alex had the most triumphant smirk on his face, and the other two stood frozen, faces caught in a mix between confusion and heavy contemplation. Even the sounds of the various Trainers surrounding them, and the joyous cries of their Pokémon did nothing to deter their current state.

"…Alex?" Maverick quietly asked, "can you just…shut up?"

"No can do," he replied matter-of-factly. "As the oldest one here, I declare that you both are acting childish. Now, stop this fighting and make up. Like good children should."

"…No. I actually have a better idea," Maverick began. His annoyance quickly evaporated, replaced by growing excitement. "Let's have a battle!"

Rika shook her head quickly. "Wait, what? Now you wanna drag our Pokémon into this?!"

Maverick tried to ease her down. "It'll be great! The winner of our battle will be the older sibling, a-at least for the day. What better way to start communicating with our Pokémon than through a battle? How about it?" he asked Turtwig. The Pokémon was slightly taken aback through the event, but a battle? He hadn't participated in a battle in quite a while. He had been in a fair share, so he accepted, crawling over to Maverick who held him up. "This'll be awesome, trust me."

Rika was still a little unsure. Alex, however seemed to like the idea. "Sure, let's find a bigger clearing for you two."

It didn't take long, the same spot where Piplup terrorized her Trainer's shirt near the lake was good enough. It was out of the way from other people. Alex stood off to the side, while Rika and Maverick stood across each other, the former hesitant. She'd never been in a battle before! "Are you sure about this?" she asked quietly. Chimchar jumped out of her arms and simply nodded to her.

"If you say so…"

"No worries, Rika," Alex called out, "just try to remember what moves Chimchar showed you. Most of it is instinct, you'll be fine. I'll be keeping watch over here."

"You talk as if you're a seasoned veteran…"

"A shred of hope is better than none!" he shot back, making her eyes roll. Alex had to chuckle to himself, until Maverick interrupted him. "What's up?"

"No need to keep watch Alex, join in too! I'd like for all of us to fight each other!"

Piplup seemed to really like the idea. The Penguin Pokémon turned and pleaded to her Trainer, who accepted. "I guess it can't hurt. Alright, Piplup. It's fight time!" he shrugged, before pointing forward. Strangely enough, Alex felt powerful in that moment. The Pokémon obeyed and waddled forward. Commanding a Pokémon was something he could get used to!

Rika seemed a little more confident. After all, she's fighting for the right to become the older sibling! "Good luck out there, Chimchar! I'll try my best!" He heard her wish and gave her a smile.

"Chim!"

Maverick looked down at Turtwig, a small smile growing on his face. "This is our first battle together. I don't know if your older Trainer got a chance to go far with you, but we can try our best, right?" Turtwig simply nodded. He wasn't much of a talker from what Alex saw. "Good, well, let's do it!"

"Okay," Alex started, his voice rose to reach the other two. They were standing in a triangle, trees behind Rika, an expanse of space behind Maverick, and himself facing the lake. It was a beautiful backdrop to their start. "This is a free for all! Last Pokémon standing wins, 'kay? Ready?" he called looking back and forth.

"Yes!" Rika replied. Chimchar gave a confident look to Turtwig, who simply nodded in return. Maverick gave a confident smile and also pointed forward.

"Let's do this!" he shouted, while Turtwig jumped into position. Finally…

It's battle time!

"Turtwig, here we go! Start off by using Tackle on Chimchar!" Maverick initiated. The boy spent no time in picking a target. The green turtle complied, moving forward with a running start and head perched forward. He traveled across the grass with such speed that it caused Alex to step back a bit. Rika immediately panicked, her hands flailed about.

"A-ah! Uh…! Chimchar, use an…um, use an attack!" she cried, shielding her eyes from the oncoming assault. Chimchar didn't blame her, simply allowing Turtwig to come closer before unsheathing his claws. Chimchar smirked, jumping in the air to allow Turtwig to slide under him. The Tiny Leaf Pokémon didn't stay in place, though, quickly righting himself and dodging Chimchar who slashed from above. Rika took her hand away from her face, seeing Chimchar was the least bit harmed.

Maverick's grin didn't falter. "One more time!"

"Turrrt...!" Turtwig shot off again for Chimchar. The monkey found it difficult to dodge this time, from their proximity, but he narrowly avoided him. Same as before, the turtle was quick to recover, shooting off for the flaming Pokémon yet again. "Twig, turtwig!"

"Keep it going!" Maverick yelled out. Rika scrambled in place, yelping to Chimchar who seemed to ignore her and do his own thing. Turtwig narrowed his eyes and gave one last push. His wide skull bashed into the chimp's side, throwing the Pokémon off his balance. "Haha! Right on!" Maverick celebrated.

"Ah! Chimchar!" Rika yelled, her brown eyes glossy. Chimchar simply stood up and shook it off, making Turtwig wonder how hard he actually hit him. "Oh, Maverick!" she growled.

"Remember to stay calm, Rika. Chimchar can't listen to you freak out, or else he'll attack on his own. You've got to remember what moves he knows!" Alex instructed. "Think!"

"Char!" the Chimp Pokémon called to her. His claws were still extended, giving Rika a hint. Alex saw her take a deep breath, and call out an attack.

"Sorry Chimchar, alright, use…Scratch!" she commanded more confidently. Chimchar smirked again and ran off towards Turtwig. This time, he had his Trainer behind him. Making his way through the blurry grass, he gave a large swipe. Turtwig saw this coming and jumped to the left of him.

Alex saw Maverick tense a bit. "Turtwig, just keep dodging!" he exclaimed, closely following Chimchar's movements. Piplup seemed to whimper a bit, looking to Alex again. She wanted to battle, not stand off to the side. Alex reassured her.

"Just a little bit more, hang in there."

"…And jump!" Maverick yelled, stepping forward. Turtwig did as instructed, jumping over the chimpanzee's attack. As soon as he landed, he shot forward with another Tackle that Chimchar was ready for. A quick swipe of the arm had Turtwig rolling back, growling as he did so. "Dang it."

"Get ready, Piplup," Alex mumbled to her. "It's time for you to get in there! On my mark," she nodded, and steeled herself. As Turtwig recovered, Rika called out another attack.

"Okay, now use…Leer!" Chimchar complied and gave the turtle a thousand-yard stare, causing him to shiver. "Great job!"

"Now, Piplup! Use Pound on Turtwig!"

"W-wait, what?!" Maverick yelled, eyebrows pulling together. Are they serious? "Gah, Turtwig, get out of there! Dodge!" he cried. Turtwig was too shaken up by Chimchar's attack to do anything, and Piplup quickly ran over to smack his face with her flipper. "You can't team on me!"

"Inviting me to join was your first mistake! Piplup, chase Turtwig around and don't stop!"

"Good idea, Alex! Chimchar, keep it up, Scratch!" the two worked together like a hot knife through butter. As soon as Turtwig shook off the attack, he was on the run again, dodging the many swipes of Chimchar's claws while keeping away from Piplup. Rika called for another Leer attack.

The stare hit Turtwig while running, and the turtle tripped on his stubby legs. His defense was lowered an additional level, causing the Pound attack from Piplup to hurt much worse. Alex looked to Maverick's troubled face and yelled to Rika as a result.

"Rika! Now!"

"Got it!" she confirmed. She stepped forward a bit, and confidently instructed her Chimchar, "while Turtwig is stunned, use your fire! Ember!"

"Chim char!" he breathed, releasing many fiery bullets from his mouth.

"No, wait, Turtwig! Use Withdraw!"

"Not on my watch, Piplup, hit 'em with Bubble!" Alex instructed, grinning like a child in a candy store. Piplup automatically did as told, releasing many water filled bubbles out of her beak. Both elemental attacks hit the Tiny Leaf Pokémon, who cried out in pain. Steam eclipsed the area, shrouding the Pokémon. It dissipated after a few seconds. Maverick's eyes stayed concentrated on that one spot, hoping for a small bit of movement.

"Turtwig! Can you still…battle." The answer was a no. His Pokémon laid on the grass, defeated.

"Haha! All right!" Rika yelled, running over to hug her Pokémon, "you did it, Chimchar!" The Chimp Pokémon just rubbed his head, grinning bashfully. Alex smiled to Piplup endearingly. Maverick, however, was devastated.

"No! That's unfair!" he cried, running to retrieve his Pokémon. "That's illegal! I was being focused!"

"Oh, hush up," Alex snickered. "It was a free for all, sure, but that doesn't mean we can't have common enemies. You did well for your first battle, I'll give you that, though, not well enough for the title of oldest sibling."

Rika gasped excitedly, "I totally forgot! I'm the oldest! Yes! Eat that, Maverick!" Said boy stared at Alex vehemently.

"Just shut up, Rika. Alex, you've made an enemy today."

"Yeah, sure, okay," he flippantly replied. "He may be out, but we're not done yet, Rika. Piplup, really to battle for real?"

"Lup!" she happily confirmed. Maverick just sighed, picking up his Pokémon and walking over to where he was situated before. Alex kept an eye on him through out their battle, himself being slightly within earshot.

"Turt…wig?" moaned the turtle Pokémon. Maverick held him, crouching down and going through his bag. He pulled out a spray bottle.

"Sorry about that," Maverick quietly spoke, making it hard for Alex to hear. "I should have found a way to get you out of there, but my tactician of a friend just had to play dirty. Are you okay?" The Pokémon responded in a series of syllables that Maverick did not understand, but Turtwig's tone suggested he felt fine. Maverick nodded and sprayed on his Pokémon, who cringed a bit at the sensation.

"Sorry," Maverick continued. "These are potions, they sting a bit on first use, but you should be feeling okay afterwards…"

Alex could just see Turtwig nodding, and Maverick's shoulder slumping. He called out an attack before listening in to their conversation again. "What, no, Turtwig, you don't have to feel bad. You tried your best. I won't call you weak, at all. I promise. I really want to get to know you, because I knew a guy that did something horrible to a friend of mine. I stuck up for them, and I want to do the same for you…so…don't be so restrained, okay?

"You can count on me."

Alex had to smile to himself. He knew Maverick was a good enough kid growing up, and it seemed he wanted a genuine relationship with Turtwig. It made Alex to want to know Piplup beyond playing together, so together, they can also get stronger.

Strong enough to help his parents someday.

"Finish it off with Scratch!" Rika yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts. Before he knew it, Chimchar laid down a flurry of swipes across Piplup's face, causing her to slump to the ground, defeated. Alex's mouth was agape, before a small sigh escaped from it. Piplup put up an honest to Arceus effort, that's all that mattered.

"Meh, can't win 'em all," he shrugged. Rika stayed in place for a few seconds, before realization washed over her.

"I…we," she began, eyes growing wide. "We actually did it, haha! Chimchar! We won! Come here, you!" she happily shouted, running towards Chimchar and hugging him. Chimchar hugged right back, though he was tired. Anything to make his Trainer happy.

"Great job, Rika, you actually beat someone who's doing the League Challenge," Alex said after picking up his Pokémon. Piplup hugged him, before asking to be sent to her Pokéball. He returned her, thanking her for a job well done. Rika smiled, a blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Thank you, Alex."

"Ah, don't thank me, thank Chimchar," he suggested lazily. He put his hands behind his head and gave her a large grin. "You did really well for your first battle. All you have to do is calm down, think a bit, and the rest should follow. See why it is important to _participate_ in class?"

"Oh, stop talking Al," she giggled. She stood up holding Chimchar and walked over to her bag. "I didn't know he was so good on the battlefield."

"Chimchar is an agile Pokémon, so battling is kind of in its DNA. You should do the League Challenge with that idiot younger brother of yours."

"Oh, I'd never," Rika denied, shaking her head. "I just don't think I'm fit for battling, is all."

"Hey, you never know," Alex replied. They packed up their stuff and walked away from the area, not long before they realized who was missing.

"Chimchar!"

"Huh? Oh, where's Maverick?" Rika asked. Alex stopped in his tracks before realizing he wasn't here. He turned around, and very far away from them was Rika's brother, staring out to Lake Verity. "Hey! Mav! Come on, we're leaving!"

"Chimchar, chim!"

Maverick didn't respond.

"He can't be that sad about his loss. Hey, bro, come on!" Alex called. Turtwig heard their calls before he perked up and shook his Trainer's pants. His Trainer wobbled a bit before coming to life. He took a moment to situate himself, sauntering away from the lake. Eventually, he made it to their location. "Are you feeling alright? Too sad about being younger?" Alex teased.

Maverick didn't even register the joke, looking back towards Lake Verity quietly.

"Mav?" Rika asked, touching his shoulder, "are you okay…?"

"…Yeah, yeah, I…am," he mumbled. His brown eyes were trained on the center of the lake. "I just thought I saw something…"

"What?" they both asked him. Maverick furrowed his eyebrows before shaking his head.

"Ah, it's probably Mount Coronet's reflection and the sun playing with my eyes. Anyway, Sandgem Town is next on the map, right?" he asked. They both confirmed his guess with a nod. "Alright then, let's go!"

"You seem awfully happy for being the youngest out of us three," Alex quipped yet again. This time Maverick balled his fist and yelled in his face.

"Shut _up_ , Alex! Arceus!"

Rika and Alex just laughed, and eventually Maverick joined in. He couldn't stay mad at them. The rest of their lives were a hop and a skip away, and he intended to stay with them every step of the way.

.

.

.

 _ **To be continued.**_

* * *

 **Hi!**

 **Did you enjoy that chapter? I hope you did, honest. Sorry for taking** _ **so**_ **long to upload. I feel this isn't my strongest chapter, but I'll spare you the explanations, since they could've been circumvented, but I'm happy to get back into the thick of it. This chapter took many trial and error, but I feel I made the chapter a bit better after holding off from uploading a couple days (months, actually) late.**

 **Well, the contents of this chapter: I introduced a new character who was an OC owned by** _ **WolfGirl34 A.K.A Wolfy,**_ **who, believe it or not, was the very first person who helped make this story what it is today, by submitting an OC. Nearly 6 years ago, her and I talked about her character, Sabrina, and this is the first time she's making her debut to this story. It wouldn't be MSA without Sabrina in it. Her and I lost contact, unfortunately, but Sabrina still survived in my thoughts throughout these years.**

 **A great thanks goes to _Epicocity_ , who, believe it or not, gave me a deadline to upload this chapter. Without his help and motivation, you probably won't be seeing this chapter for another year. I also want to thank him for reviewing chapter 5, arguably the most important chapter as of late. Each critic goes a long way, and I can't thank him enough.**

 **Now then, that's all I got for this year. 2 chapters. I aim to make sure we don't have this long of a drought again next year. If you keep reading, I'll be sure to keep writing! Thanks for all the support. Please be sure to review!**

 **Here's to a great 2019. Live long and Shine on!  
~XDiamondX90**


	7. A Rough Encounter

**Hey everyone! It's been a while since the last one, I know. How are you? This next chapter of MSA is a little bit on the short side – about as long as Chapter 3: A Scarring Sight. I'll get to the reasonings at the end. For now, let's hop into this new chapter.**

 **I'll see you at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure  
Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend**

 **Chapter 7: A Rough Encounter**

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The weight of Maverick's body was lifted off of his aching feet, finally sitting down for once. Following their first ever battle, the group packed up and made their way past the well-kept Route 201 and eventually made it to their next destination. With a relieved sigh, he took all the space he needed to stretch his legs and arms with tight, closed eyes. While his feet hated him, Maverick found the short trip worth it – the large amount of Pokémon he saw with Turtwig simply made him more eager to press on, and eventually, it led him to Sandgem Town.

Sandgem was a town of sand, the air scented with salt. The place was littered with tall pine trees, housing different types of bird Pokémon that were mostly unfamiliar to him. The town also held a lot of local delicacies- one such was the esteemed noodle shop, the rival to Twinleaf's own Luncheon Café, and Sandgem Beach, for where the town got its name. However, there was no greater landmark than the red roofed Pokémon Center, a statement every Trainer in the world could agree on.

The Pokémon Center took a bit of searching- the place where it was previously stationed became the noodle shop, unknown to Maverick who was leading the group at the time. After his sister angrily declared to never lead them anywhere again, the help of a kind enough Trainer pointed them in the right direction. In the end, Maverick found himself feeling relieved, irritated, emotionally bruised, and physically aching. Yep, all part of the training experience.

"...We're finally back to civilization," Rika groaned, practically flopping down on the vacant couch in front of him. Her brother offered the girl a roll of his eyes, trying to ignore the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Who knew walking could be such a chore?"

"You've got to get used to it," chuckled Alex from above her, he leaned against the head rest and looked around, finding a map of the region on the wall. To Maverick, it looked like Alex wasn't fazed at all, despite his still wet shirt. "We'll be walking everywhere across that map, rain or shine. I mean, it's not like this wasn't something we knew."

Rika groaned once again, this time a bit louder. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

"All in a day's work. Hey, listen, I'll go get us checked in for the night," Alex said, thumb pointed towards a desk near the map. "Rika, can you call our parents, and Maverick, think you could heal our Pokémon? The sooner we get ourselves situated, we can go out and maybe roam for a bit." Rika looked up at him with a confused expression while he moved away to do just that.

"Wait, why are you suddenly calling the shots?"

He quickly turned and pointed a finger at Maverick accusingly. "Because _he_ can't guide us through a straight path to save his life."

"Hey!" Maverick barked, face heating up out of embarrassment, "we weren't _that_ lost!" His retort didn't seem to reach Alex as he already left, leaving Maverick to instead direct his glare towards his sister. Her hands raised, feigning innocence, before getting up and leaving herself. With nothing to scowl at, Maverick's shoulders slumped as he finally relished in much needed alone time. His starter was already returned to his Pokéball, so that left him to his thoughts as his feet began to come back to life, shuffling towards the main desk. It was at this moment that he realized just how packed the Center was.

Given the recent ceremony, there seemed to be an abundance of Trainers and local residents in the area, and admittedly, it was quite a struggle to push past some people. He now held three Pokéballs and tried not to drop them on the way there, muttering apologies along the way. He inched past someone with a large backpack, before finally popping out near the middle of the facility. It was at this moment he looked up, crestfallen, at the sight of a long line of people who waited to talk to the nurse. He sighed, defeated. It looked like he'd be here for a while.

Time ticked on slowly for the boy, rocking on both feet out of boredom. It wasn't until he heard a voice ahead of him that caused him look up.

"Wait…Nelson?" Maverick questioned, doing a double take. His friend was right in front of him the whole time? "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, Maverick," he breathed, surprised, "it's been a while! How are you?"

Maverick excused his alone time for a friendly face. "I've been better," he said, gesturing towards his feet. "I'm just here to heal our Pokémon before we might head back out for a bit. You?"

"I'm good," he replied rather happily. Nelson was one of Maverick's friends a couple years back. Nelson forgone the classic jacket and jean combo for an educated look, sporting the male uniform from the Trainer's School: a brown vest, gold collared shirt, blue jeans and brown hiking shoes. His blue glasses shined in front of his brown eyes, clean and new.

The two made small talk, reflecting on their short trek to Sandgem Town so far. Nelson stifled a laugh for Maverick's sake after he recounted his story, something the young teen appreciated. "I'm surprised your side was quite eventful. Though, I can't say the same for mine. I barely had time to use my Turtwig in a battle; I left Twinleaf a bit after receiving him from the Professor."

"...Why so soon?"

"I was with my father. He wants me to get to Jubilife City to show my new Pokémon to our old teacher, and attend a few more classes to really make sure I could defend myself from any wild Pokémon…a-and people," he stuttered. The line moved up a bit, and the two walked along, though, an awkward silence followed Nelson's statement.

People?

"I…thought it would be nice to maybe go back as a refresher to catch up on the lessons I missed after I moved," Nelson quickly added, before Maverick could conjure up a response. "I didn't refute my dad's decision. I like that idea, of learning more before I officially step out, I mean. So, I left with my dad to get to Sandgem quick enough to meet with the Professor."

"Ah…well, that's great," Maverick replied with an honest smile, though his tone lost a bit of warmth. The line moved up some more, with their location relatively close to the counter. Nelson caught his change of tone, not to mention the slight twitch of his hands, and the boy frowned a bit.

They stood in line with an air of awkwardness. At the thought of Nelson's statement, Maverick's eyebrows knitted together. He could only recall distastefully what happened two years ago. He never felt so weak in his life.

Thankfully, however, a bright and beautiful sound entered their ears and perked them straight up. "Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center. I'm Nurse Joy, and this is Chansey. How may we help you, young Trainer?"

Maverick was mentally shaken out of his stupor by the kind sound of the nurse. He looked up, and blue eyes with a friendly, but concerned smile looked back at him. To her right, a large pink Pokémon gave him a closed eyed smile. They both wore a hat with what seemed to be a cross on it. Maverick mutely regarded the two with a confused look, before Nelson gently nudged him. "O-oh, um…I, uh, can you heal these Pokémon, please?" he pathetically asked. Nurse Joy took his predicament in stride, offering a hand, in which he placed the three Pokéballs with various colored tops.

Placing them on a healing machine, the pink Pokémon pressed a few buttons on it before the computer screen in front of the nurse brightened up. "Oh my," the nurse breathed, "are these three Pokémon yours?"

He replied by shaking his head, giving a wave of his hands. "Only Turtwig is. Piplup and Chimchar belong to the people I'm with. They just asked me to heal those two."

Nurse Joy nodded, pressing a button before a melodic chime was heard. "I see, I was almost led to believe that you owned three starter Pokémon, though, it's not _terribly_ uncommon for the beginning Trainer to have more than one starter. That hasn't happened in many months. I believe Rowan only does that in special cases, though…"

"Special cases?" Nelson repeated, adjusting his glasses.

The pink Pokémon, which Maverick recalled was a Chansey, gave a curt nod, removing the three glowing devices from the machine. Handing them to the nurse, Joy held up one of them and looked at it. "Hm. Usually that's when a Trainer is in a situation that demands more than one Pokémon. For example, life at home, or if the region is in a really trying time. It's mostly used as a safety precaution, or research purposes. If a new Trainer were to receive more than one starter, it's usually because they have the experience needed to raise two at the same time, or they were on track to study directly under the Professor to become their aid.

"Sometimes, the regional Professors would give Pokémon that aren't even classified as starters to a new Trainer," she continued, giving the younger people a kind glance. "Professor Oak of the Kanto Region gave a rather problematic Pikachu to a boy a few years ago, just as I started working here. The boy went on catching or receiving other starter Pokémon from other regions. They recently made a stop here a few months ago, actually."

"Wait... Ash Ketchum, right?" Maverick guessed, surprising the nurse.

"You know of him?"

"Of course! He's only the coolest Trainer ever! His Pikachu and Infernape are really strong! Y'know, one day, I'm going to battle him, and when I do, it'll be totally awesome!" the boy practically gushed with what appeared to be stars in his eyes. Nelson just shook his head, a fond smile painted on his face while Nurse Joy gave a quiet laugh.

"Well, you certainly are a dreamer," Nurse Joy started, straightening up her hat. "In any case, it appears your group's Pokémon are healed up enough to not require any extensive care. You're good to go," she said handing them back to the boy, who carefully held them in his hand. "Pokémon Centers are free of charge, so you can help yourself to some food, room service and other nice stuff," the nurse offered.

Nelson looked up suddenly, giving Maverick a pensive gaze. "Which reminds me, are you already registered for the Pokémon League Challenge?"

"Registered?" Maverick asked with a tilted head. Nelson nodded.

"Right, Nurse Joy here can help you with that."

"Precisely. May you hand me your Pokédex?" she asked, extending her hand. Maverick's eyes grew wide, barely remembering he even had one in the first place. He took the device out of his pocket and gave it to the nurse, who put in a computer. It took a few seconds, before a negative sound emitted from the it. She frowned, her pigtails swaying with a shake of her head. "…It appears you need to format and update your Pokédex in order for me to register you for the League. Formatting the Pokédex is rather easy, but the updating part is a bit hard. But no worries, we're in Sandgem Town."

The brown-haired boy gave Maverick a small nod. "Professor Rowan is just down this road. I went to him earlier for a direct update to the 'Dex. While you're there, you can also register for the Pokémon League. It may be a good chance to ask him any questions you may have about the Pokédex, too. There's a lot that little thing can do; it's fascinating!" Nelson gushed.

"Well, I guess I'll do that, then. Thanks for your help Nelson, and thank you for healing my Pokémon, Nurse Joy!"

"Any time! Do you need a room to stay in?" she asked, her pink hair flying as she bowed.

Cradling the devices, Maverick gave a shake of his head. "Nah, my friend is already taking care of that."

"I see. Well, if there is anything you need, I'm always here to help. Good luck out there, and hopefully, you can beat Ash along the way!" she called after him, waving. He blushed. He certainly didn't think the _nurse_ of all people would believe he could beat him, but he appreciated her support. He gave her a final thanks and walked away from the counter. Nelson followed him, catching up with the boy some more, before moving on ahead.

"I think this is where I depart, I'd love to stop and chat more, since it's been such a long time, but I really have to go. My father is waiting for me." He gave his friend a kind smile, and Maverick returned it, clutching the items tighter.

"It looks like me and the others will meet you in Jubilife City. By then, let's have a battle."

"It's a deal," Nelson said, gripping his backpack tighter. With that, Nelson made to depart, but not before Maverick called out to him.

"…Hey, wait. About Jubilife, if you see… _him_ , don't feel threatened, alright? Or-!"

"No, I-" a quick sigh, "Maverick," Nelson started, "it was two years ago. I'm…better now, so, don't worry, 'kay?" he said, subdued. The boy in question simply nodded after a beat. "I'm thankful that you're still offering to stand by me, really. It's why we became friends in the first place." Nelson gave a quick shake of his head, exhaling a heavy breath. He looked to Maverick with eyes that looked nothing like the scared ones he'd seen growing up. "Again, I'll be waiting, so try and keep up!" And just like that, he was all smiles again, turning and leaving through the front doors of the Center. A frown crept up on the lingering boy's face.

He desperately hoped those words were true…

With one friend gone, he made the task of finding his annoying companions next on his to do list.

In order for that to happen, though, he'd have to wade through the sea of people to get to Rika. He clutched the items a bit tighter in his hands, black Pokédex included, and braced himself. While he was doing that, he took in his surroundings. The place felt nice, and inviting, because of the warm colors that decorated the Center. The walls were painted a light orange, rimmed with white along the ceiling; the maple wood floor complemented the reds of the counters, and the place had a lot of windows. It was well kept, considering the sheer amount of people that seem to use it daily.

Stepping over legs, bags, and other items was something Maverick could only concentrate on so much while apologizing. His trek made him gain some speed, and unfortunately trip over one of the last legs of the group. He lost his balance and immediately threw his hands outward, tossing his Pokédex, and the Pokéballs in the air. He quickly grasped on to a brown item for some form of balance, but unfortunately, his rocketing momentum dragged him towards the ground.

Everything literally went south after this.

With a yelp, his vision failed him. Like clothes in a dryer, he felt himself spinning, hitting sharp edges that cut into his sides and arms before an unimaginable pain exploded on the back of his head. He moaned bitterly. His arms eventually decided to function, elbows propping up his body to survey the area. Alex had been outdone by the floor, giving Maverick the biggest headache he ever had in his life.

It appeared he wound up in the Pokémon Center's dark basement.

He felt frantic nudges at his side. The boy almost mistook it for throbbing pain, before he felt something rub his head. He could barely see his starter's leaf swaying fervently. "Mgh, hey, Turtwig..." he painfully greeted. The starter kept prodding his Trainer, causing him to give a pained laugh. "...Don't worry about me, I'm fine… I wish I could say the same for the Pokédex, though," he winced. Looking up, his eyes landed on his ruined device. It was in pieces, surrounded by glass shards and the other two Pokéballs, heavily scratched and dented, and it…it even appeared as if some of the paint chipped off! "I didn't even get a chance to use it. So much for updating it..."

"Hey! Are you two alright down there?!" yelled a distant manly voice up the stairs.

"Uh…yeah!"

"Yeah, I'm—huh?" Maverick began to say, before being cut off by another voice. Turtwig stopped poking his Trainer's body and faced the direction of the sound, causing Maverick to do the same. Apparently, the brown item the teen vaguely remembered grabbing had a person attached to it. It was hard to see in the dark, though, so he called out to them. "Uh…hey, are you alright?"

"Um... M-my glasses! Can you help me find them?" the other person squeaked. His eyes widened. Those glass shards surrounding his broken Pokédex couldn't have been it, right? Upon closer inspection, barely making out a bent red frame with cracked and missing lens told him everything he needed to know.

"I...um, I think it's broken." It sounded like a question.

"Ugh, now I can't see…um, excuse me, can you help me up? My head is spinning," the person asked. Maverick, careful not to touch broken glass, crawled over and located an arm in the dark room with the help of Turtwig.

"I'm going to pull you up. Ready?" The person hummed in the affirmative, and the teen pulled them up after finding his footing. He made sure to hold their shoulder after feeling them wobble. Now that they were close, the dark-haired boy could see that the person was actually female, given by her long, dirty blonde hair and smaller frame. She was squinting hard through the dark room, and Maverick felt a pang of guilt well up inside him.

"Thanks, mister," she replied, dusting herself off.

Taken aback by her almost happy tone, he felt the guilt grow ten-fold. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to drag you down with me. I, uh, I kinda lost my balance back there. A-are you hurt?"

She shook her head, hair flying, and looked back at him, though he couldn't tell how well she could see. "Not much, just a pounding headache is all. Though, my glasses are trashed..." His face heated up at her remark, and he avoided her strained gaze as a result.

"I'm really sorry..."

"Oh, it's no biggie. Being blind for a bit may be fun! What's your name, anyway?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Her blonde hair spilled over her sleeveless red jacket, and a curious smile found its way on her lips. Surprised by her lack of animosity, the male looked at his ruined 'Dex for solace.

"It's, um, it's Maverick...O-oh! And this is Turtwig," he stuttered, reaching to pick up his silent starter. The girl hummed. Her right hand extended a bit, landing on Maverick's chest, before hitting his face, and then finally landing on his starter's head. He excused her touch (he guessed she had less then pleasurable eyesight). "And yours?"

She rubbed her hand over his Pokémon, and her smile grew. "My name is Sabrina. Nice to meet you, Maverick and Turtwig!"

Shockingly, his Pokémon seemed to melt to a puddle at her touch, surprising the boy about how quick Turtwig seemed to like it. Even though she said it wasn't a big deal, Maverick felt obligated to somehow help with the damages. Beyond her glasses, a few items spilled out of her backpack, most of which were art items. Clean up took a bit of time, but after help in the form of Nurse Joy and a few other Trainers came to their rescue, they painfully made their way up the evil, unforgiving stairs.

"I'm sorry for the situation," Nurse Joy apologized by the counter. "Our basement isn't exactly fixed up at the moment. I'll see to it that your glasses get replaced, dear. And Maverick, your Pokédex didn't seem to make it. I'll be sure to inform the professor and ask him to get a replacement for you. You'll have to stop by his lab in order to pick it up," she bowed, full of sorrow. Even though he was in pain, he thanked the nurse and others for their help.

Now he had more of a reason to see the professor.

"It's a good thing my art items didn't get messed up. My whole life would've been over if it did," Sabrina, through squinted eyes, breathed a sigh of relief. They both sat pathetically in the sunlight on the couch his sister lazed over previously, tending to their headaches. Now that he got a good look at her, he realized Sabrina was just a bit shorter than him. She wore a sleeveless red jacket, a green, long sleeved shirt, faded blue jeans, and brown sneakers. Turtwig lied coiled up on his lap, with Maverick's hand running over his moist shell. The other two Pokéballs were now located on his Trainers belt. "Sorry about your Pokédex."

"…Mm, I mean, it's not like I got to _use_ it," he replied, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "But that's not as important as being half blind. You have a handicap, thanks to me…"

She couldn't help but giggle. "Are you really going to keep worrying about that? I told you that it's okay. Maybe seeing the world like this may influence my art style, you know? So, it's not all bad, honest." The thirteen-year-old was still unsure about that, but if she said it was _okay_ , he guessed he could let it go.

At least for a little.

"So, you're an artist?" he asked. Her passive aura shook him to the core.

"Yup! A Pokémon Watcher in the making!" Her eyes widened comically. "It's been my dream for a while now. All I have to do to make that a reality is meet up with Professor Rowan. All he has to do is approve me, after he sees my art. All the prerequisites of going to school and all that jazz has been done, so I'm home free!"

He leaned forward, considering her words. "Hmm, but don't you need a starter Pokémon?" he asked, glancing down at his turtle. She shook her head, patting at her side.

"I already have the perfect partner to help me out. I can consider one if he has a Growlithe, though. They're so cool…"

He chuckled at her peppy, somewhat flighty attitude. He looked at her golden eyes and scratched his cheek, considering his time spent with her. He still felt responsible for her condition and thought maybe being her guide to the lab is a good idea. "Well…wanna go together? I'm headed there with my sister and friend, anyway."

"...With me? Wait, are you sure?"

"Well, yeah. Guiding you there is the least I could do. I don't mind at all." He gave her a nervous smile, feeling a weird sensation run across his chest. She stared at him, eyes strained, before shooting him the brightest smile she could muster.

"I'd love to! Maybe it can give me an excuse to study your Turtwig some more," she giggled out, reaching a hand to rub over Turtwig's head. Both their hands ran over him and Turtwig sighed as a response. Maverick smiled. He didn't mind Sabrina touching his Pokémon at all, especially since Turtwig appeared to like it so much. "You know, when I felt him earlier, he seemed really healthy. How long have you been together?"

"We only just started training. It's been a day. I think he's still warming up to me, though."

Sabrina shook her head, squinting towards Maverick's face to consider her words. "I think he likes you enough. He's just a quiet Pokémon, it seems."

Maverick's hand slowed to a stop on his Pokémon's head, looking at his partner. Turtwig just gave him a blank stare, and Maverick couldn't read his expression. Could it be because of what happened to him in the past, maybe? He searched Turtwig's eyes for an answer, until the starter moved his gaze elsewhere, as if he read his mind. Maverick's lips tightened in dismay. Is that it?

He hadn't thought about Turtwig's past and how it could've been linked to his nature. His Pokémon seemed reserved, often quiet, and fairly obedient. After their battle, it finally dawned on him that Turtwig seemed scared, as if fearing his judgement. What exactly was his previous Trainer like? If it was bad enough to scare his Pokémon, he guessed they weren't pleasant in the slightest.

"…I wonder why."

It wasn't long before his childhood friend and twin sister located him. "There you are! We've been looking all over Sandgem for you!" his sister reported, walking up to him with a glare. She was stuffing her diary in her bag while Alex rolled up behind her, giving him a once-over.

"We thought you left the Center to train or something since we couldn't- what happened to your face?"

Perhaps Turtwig's blank stare was out of amusement and he just didn't notice. The boy in question wondered why his face still felt funny. Offering a shrug, he told them what happened…and how he dragged Sabrina into the story.

"Sabrina, right? I'm sorry for my brother's actions. He can be a bit of an airhead when he's by himself."

"Oh, it's no big deal, really," Sabrina replied, looking down to rest her tired eyes. Maverick knew for a fact she was suffering, her nice demeanor couldn't fool him anymore (it had him for a bit, though, he's not gonna lie). "He was nice enough to keep me company after it happened."

Rika nodded, casting her brother an accusatory look. Maverick, guilt ridden, just handed Piplup and Chimchar back to their Trainers without a word. "But anyway, my name is Rika, and this is my friend Alex. We're traveling with him."

"Nice to meet you both."

"You're gonna buy her glasses, right?" Alex whispered to Maverick's ear, to whom the boy reeled away from.

"I- what!? _Yes_! Why is everything out to get me?" he complained, feeling his poor Pokémon fall off his lap. He picked Turtwig up after showering him with apologies, fearing the Tiny Leaf Pokémon might get on his case too. "I feel bad enough as is, thanks!"

"In any case, feeling bad or not," Rika said, but not without injecting her tone with disdain which sent Maverick over the edge. "We need to head over to the professor's lab to get your Pokédex fixed, and to register you for the League. Maybe we can fit in a battle later today."

"Then I can get my title as the oldest sibling back," Maverick muttered under his breath. He shook his head, ridding himself of any negative emotions, before offering a hand to his new acquaintance.

"Listen, I'm sorry about your condition. Just know I'll be right next to you until you get a new pair of glasses," he nervously scratched his nose, "and... maybe a little bit after that. We kind of had a rough encounter, but hopefully we'll smooth things out along the way. So, Sabrina, ready to go?"

The girl in question looked up to him, straining eyes and all, and gave him a nod. Maverick saw her cheeks flush a bit, and his flushed when she took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Mmhm. Lead the way, Maverick!"

He felt her soft hands and squeezed back. "Awesome. Let's go!"

"...'Lead the way'? Sabrina, if only you knew..."

"Gah, I… Shut _up,_ Alex!" Maverick barked at him. Rika and Alex laughed while Sabrina merely tilted her head. Did Alex really have to embarrass him further in front of his new companion of all people...?

 **.**

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 **.**

 _ **To be continued**_ **.**

* * *

 **Hey there! A bit of a shorter chapter than usual. I usually aim for chapters around 8k words or more, but this, I felt, was a better decision. I decided to split this chapter because narratively, with what I want to include around this time frame, it would fit better in a separate chapter, rather than be shoe horned in.**

 **So, what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you so much for sticking with this story through the slow updates, but we're finally on track to a more productive future. Don't forget to review and tell me what I could improve on.**

 **Thank you for reading and supporting me. Live long and Shine on!  
~XDiamondX90**

 **P.S. I totally forgot to thank _Epicocity, MisterLooneyTune,_ and _LovingGinger30_ for reviewing Chapter 6: A Hop and a Skip Away, and _Jeff Excellence_ for reviewing Chapter 1: Tranquil Times. Your thoughts have really helped me, and caused me to think a little bit more about the direction of this story. I'd also like to thank _MisterLooneyTune_ once again for favoriting, and _PraetorFable_ for following. You guys mean a lot to me.**


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